2021 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER Full list of behaviors examined (top 5 highlighted in bold) 1. Meeting your overall expectations for how they should be HOW WE CALCULATED INCREASED responding to the health and public safety aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic LIKELIHOOD TO TRUST BUSINESS 2. Meeting your overall expectations for how they should be responding to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic 3. Partnering with other organizations and societal institutions, even if they might be competitors, to mount the strongest and most Respondents were asked to evaluate the performance of business as an institution effective responses possible to our societal challenges against a variety of behavioral expectations. These performance scores were then 4. Stepping in to fill leadership voids and policy gaps left by government incorporated into a discrete choice analysis to determine which behaviors, if done 5. Doing everything they can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of well, would provide the greatest boost to trust in business. our people and communities The top five performance drivers of trust, defined in terms of marginal effect on 6. Identifying and addressing systemic inequalities, unfair treatment, likelihood to trust associated with doing that behavior well, are displayed on the and prejudices within society and in the business world slide. 7. Shaping our culture for the better by inspiring positive change in how we see and treat ourselves and each other 8. Developing new solutions to help address our country’s problems 9. Working to benefit their employees, customers, and local community, in addition to their owners and shareholders 10. Putting people before profits 11. Being the guardian of information quality, working to ensure that only true, verified information is being shared and circulated Respondents were asked: 12. Driving the economic prosperity of our country 13. Working to ensure that our workers have the skills necessary to be How well do you feel business is currently doing competitive in the global job market each of the following? Please indicate your answer 14. Investing in the local communities where they are headquartered using the 5-point scale below where 1 means the or have large production facilities/offices institution is “failing at this” and 5 means the 15. Taking a long-term perspective when making business institution is “doing this very well”. decisions versus focusing on short-term profits 16. Embracing sustainable practices across their business 52