Majority of respondents urge CEOs to publicly address employee welfare, climate change, and discrimination
As global priorities shift in the wake of COVID-19, there is rising demand worldwide — including in Singapore — for business leaders to actively advocate for social issues, particularly in collaboration with governments. Findings from the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual international survey on trust, reveal this growing sentiment.
Conducted in November 2022 by the Edelman Trust Institute, the survey involved 32,000 respondents across 28 countries, with over 1,000 participants from Singapore. Released on March 15, the report highlighted strong expectations for CEOs to speak out on key issues, including employee treatment, climate change, and discrimination. In Singapore, 87% of respondents wanted CEOs to take a stand on employee welfare, while 80% supported CEO involvement in climate issues, and 76% on discrimination. Respondents also expressed support for CEOs to address the wealth gap and immigration, with 75% and 70%, respectively, endorsing CEO advocacy in these areas.
Reflecting the global trend, the survey showed a desire for companies to take on ethical responsibilities. In Singapore, 79% of respondents believed CEOs should pull advertising from platforms spreading misinformation, and 76% felt CEOs were obligated to expose misleading science used to justify poor social policies.
The survey further found that 65% of Singapore respondents felt that companies could reinforce social unity by supporting politicians and media fostering cooperation and consensus. Internationally, the percentage was similar at 64%.
While respondents expect more from businesses, many feel companies are falling short in addressing issues like climate change (52%) and economic inequality (45%) in Singapore. Only a small fraction of Singaporeans — between 4% and 8% — believed that businesses are overstepping by tackling social issues. Moreover, 55% of Singaporeans felt businesses can address social matters without becoming overly political, a perspective less common in other surveyed countries.
The survey also underscored that trust in governments is on the decline globally, with notable exceptions, including Singapore. Here, 76% of respondents trust the government, compared to 62% who trust businesses.
