International survey: Employees are more trusted than CEOs
According to the seventh annual Edelman Trust Barometer, the level of individuals' trust in corporations (particularly their CEOs), government, and mainstream media (particularly television) continues to languish or drop. Trust in US corporations is significantly lower in Europe than in the US, though US companies have achieved high trust levels in China; German and Canadian companies are widely trusted worldwide. Trust in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continues to grow, particularly in the US, Canada, and Japan.

Based on the survey results, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman concludes that companies need to make better use of peer-to-peer communications between employees and consumers, rather than rely on "top-down messages" from company leadership. Supporting this conclusion is the finding that the two most credible sources of information about a company cited by respondents are articles in business magazines, and friends and family. Furthermore, more than 80% of respondents in most markets say they would not do business with a company they don't trust, and more than 70% would openly criticize such companies.

Michael Deaver, Vice Chairman of Edelman, concludes: "Trust is the key objective for global companies today because it underpins corporate reputation and gives them license to operate. To build trust, companies need to localize communications, be transparent, and engage multiple stakeholders continuously as advocates across a broad array of communications channels."

To read more about the survey, click here. (Note: Link opens in new window.)