Public Trust Has Major Role in Weathering Economic Storm  

New Report Launches a Major Collaborative Effort to Identify Emerging Opportunities for Leaders

Public distrust in business is negatively affecting companies across industries a new report released today concludes.  The report, The Dynamics of Public Trust in Business—Emerging Opportunities for Leaders, was prepared by the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics and the Arthur W. Page Society.  In releasing the report, the two organizations wanted to offer business leaders actionable recommendations, including opportunities to build and sustain public trust in their companies, their industries, and the institutions of business at a time when the idea of trust in business is in crisis.

As a first step, the Page Society and the Institute today launched a major effort to engage leading organizations in developing and implementing a long-term strategy to help restore public trust in business. The ongoing effort will be called the Project on Public Trust in Business.

“The release of this report could not have come at a better time.  Aside from the current economic crisis, we have recently witnessed a crisis in public trust,” said Anne Mulcahy, Chairman, Business Roundtable’s Corporate Leadership Initiative and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation.  “These turbulent times highlight the great importance of mutuality—of searching for and seizing opportunities that benefit both the public interest and business.  Business leaders have an opportunity to step forward and build a more trustworthy business community through effective strategies that foster public trust.”

Read the Full Report
Read the Executive Summary
Read the News Release