Trust in business

The past two decades have seen a progressive destruction of trust in societal institutions, a consequence of the Great Recession, fears about immigration and economic dislocation caused by globalization and automation. Traditional power elite figures, such as CEOs and heads of state, have been discredited. The growth of social media platforms fully shifted people’s trust from a top-down orientation to a horizontal one in favour of peers or experts. Specifically in the tech sector, the concept of ‘techlash’ has emerged – in summary, a change in public perceptions of big tech companies, and more generally, their influence on the individual, on society and on their employees. In its 19th year, Edelman’s Trust Barometer looks at global trust in people and organisations, with a special study focused on the tech sector. In this session, Tim Weber, Editorial Director at Edelman London, will present on trust in technology along with what this means for businesses in the UK, Europe and around the world today.