People say businesses should act as trustworthy information sources, base actions on science, and avoid aligning with one political party in order to avoid being seen as politically motivated when taking stands, according to recent research from Edelman.

The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer was based on data from a survey conducted in November 2022 among 32,000 people in 28 countries.

Most respondents in only nine of the 28 countries surveyed believe that businesses can avoid being political when addressing contentious societal issues.

People say the top things businesses can do to avoid being seen as politically motivated when taking a stand are to be a trustworthy source of information (46% of respondents agree), base actions on science (43%), avoid aligning with one political party (39%), act on the same values over time (36%), and link their actions to staying competitive (33%).

The issues on which most people say they expect CEOs to take stands include treatment of employees (89% of respondents expect), climate change (82%), discrimination (80%), the wealth gap (77%), and immigration (72%).

People say that government and business working in partnership is the approach most likely to result in constructive action on issues such as climate change, discrimination, immigration, employee treatment, and income inequality.

About the research: The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer was based on data from a survey conducted in November 2022 among 32,000 people in 28 countries.