Edelman 2026: business is the most trusted institution. That is a responsibility

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, released at Davos in January and based on nearly 34,000 respondents in 28 countries, describes a world “sliding into insularity”: about 7 in 10 people are unwilling or hesitant to trust someone who is different from them.

Against that background, business stands out:

• Business is the only institution seen as both ethical and competent globally.
• For the first time, business is rated more ethical than NGOs.
• “My employer” is trusted by 78% of employees — 14 points above business in general and 25 points above government.

Trust is not a reputation. It is a track record

High trust gives companies room to act — but it also raises expectations. Employees, customers and partners now look to business to be fair, to explain its decisions and to consider people beyond its shareholders. One cost-cutting decision handled carelessly can erase years of goodwill.

Making trust structural

At Why® Group, every significant decision is tested against Vivara® — Vision, Value and Wisdom — before execution. In practice that means:

• Transparent criteria: people affected by a decision can see how it was made.
• Measured claims: we publish results only when they are verified — see our verified results.
• Long-term thinking: automation and restructuring decisions weigh human dignity and long-term resilience, not only short-term savings.

Questions for boards and leadership teams

1. Which of your recent decisions would you be comfortable explaining in full to every employee?
2. Where do you claim results you have not measured?
3. Who outside the leadership team challenges big decisions before they are made?

Learn how Vivara® guides decisions across the group.

Sources

• Edelman — 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer: society slides into insularity
• Ragan — The Edelman Trust Barometer: employees trust their organizations the most