The BASICS, our corporate guidelines, have reflected the vision, values and self-image of the Corporation since 1989. At the same time, the BASICS are intended to aid in shaping our future. As early as 1989 our guidelines committed the company to respect the national origin of every employee, to acknowledge their national customs, rules and legal requirements and to ensure that environment protection played a role in corporate processes. Four years later, the BASICS were supplemented by the express obligation to all employees to “protect the environment”.

The BASICS are not to be regarded as a canon of irrevocable corporate attitudes. They are far more intended to be further developed on an ongoing basis, established across the Corporation and put into action. The original eight "Commitments" have now become 17 guidelines which are being used as a framework for the activities of our employees. New areas of corporate activity and new locations will be introduced to the BASICS right in the integration phase. The “BASICS live” represent a company-wide tool for the regular measurement and guidance of our corporate culture. We intend for the BASICS to penetrate each location to a uniform degree, and to constantly encourage employees to implement the guidelines. Since 2003, the company has also acknowledged particularly impressive ways of implementing the corporate guidelines with the „BASICS-Award“.

The BASICS also represent the basis of our philosophy of sustainability and form the worldwide foundation for the numerous, wide-ranging activities of the Corporation, individual Continental locations and company employees.