Building Public Trust in Canadian Organizations: Preliminary Findings

This report examines the reasons for low levels of public trust. It concludes that organizations can rebuild public trust by enhancing their own trustworthiness. This approach alone, however, is not sufficient. Journalists, auditors, editors, financial analysts and others also play a critical role in enabling trust in our society.

Document Highlights

Public opinion surveys have warned of a decline in levels of public trust. Although the extent of the decline is open to debate, such skepticism is troubling.

This report examines the reasons for low levels of public trust. Drawing on focus group discussions and an extensive literature review, it concludes that organizations can best rebuild public trust by enhancing their own trustworthiness. This means ensuring that the interests of the organization are closely aligned with those of its key stakeholders. It also means ensuring the organization has the capacity to act on those interests, while consistently behaving with integrity.

This approach alone, however, is not sufficient. Trust intermediaries, such as journalists, auditors, editors, financial analysts and others, also play a critical role in enabling trust in our society.