The Ethics Study is a bi-annual global research report. It presents global leaders’ perspectives on organizational ethics. The study is conducted by Principia in partnership with INvolve, the International Chamber of Commerce, and Interbrand.
Key Findings
Less than half of major companies are equipped to deal with critical ethical challenges
- The top two risks likely to trigger an ethical crisis in 2023 are identified as “geopolitical instability and conflict” and “complicity in wrongdoing by clients/customers”.
- However, organizations’ ethical commitments are failing to keep pace with risks, with only 17% and 10% of leaders focusing their commitments in these areas.
- This mismatch is reflected in the fact that only 43% of leaders believe that companies in their sector are equipped to deal with critical ethical challenges.
Ethics is a differentiator
- For businesses taking ethics seriously there are rewards beyond risk mitigation. With 85% of respondents agreeing that ethics is a competitive differentiator in their industry.
- Leading organizations are already starting to integrate ethics into branding and marketing (83%), recruitment and retention (79%) and growth strategy (77%).
- Brand, trust, and reputation is the leading motivation for such investment.
Fatigue, reduced resilience, and greater anger are driving expectations
- The ethical environment has become more challenging. A trend which has accelerated due to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine.
- 85% of leaders agree that organizations are having to address more complex ethical questions than they were three years ago.
- Businesses—and business leaders—are expected to have a role in addressing an increasing range of social and economic challenges.
Looking for more insights from the Ethics Study?
The Ethics Study 2024 Professional Services
A special edition of the Ethics Study. Drawing from a decade’s experience supporting clients across the professional services sector, including Big Four audit firms and global law firms, this study offers Principia’s perspective on the challenges leaders face and the most effective strategies we’ve observed in response.
The Ethics Study 2021
Our 2021 Ethics Study conducted by Principia in partnership with Clifford Chance, the International Chamber of Commerce, INvolve, GlobeScan and the Institute of Business Ethics.
About the Ethics Study Research:
The Ethics study presents perspectives from some of the world’s most prominent business leaders on the importance of ethical business, exploring in-depth findings along with case studies of how leading organizations are responding.
The Ethics Study is based on two main strands of research conducted between August 2022 and January 2023:
First, a series of 32 one-on-one interviews with senior business leaders from different industries and geographies, as well as academics and experts on ethics in business.
Second, a quantitative survey (consisting of rating scales and multiple-choice questions) of 162 business leaders from around the world, in different industries. We sourced Survey participants from the networks of our partners at the International Chamber of Commerce, INvolve and Interbrand, as well as clients of Principia.