Corporate Responsibility Attitudes of the British Public – Ethics in Business

Report for Institute of Business EthicsFieldwork Dates: 20-26 August 2010Released 15 December 2010

56%24%

5%12% 3%

Not very ethically

No opinion

Not at all ethically

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; 20th-26th August 2010

Q “How ethically do you think British business generally behaves?”

Very ethically

Fairly ethically

By two to one, the public believes that business behaves ethically

59%

29%

47 51 54 58 54 51 5259

0

20

40

60

80

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

% saying very/fairly ethical

Base: c. 1,000 / 2,000 British adults aged 16+ / 15+ each year

Q “How ethically do you think British business generally behaves?”

%

Public belief that British business behaves ethically is up this year

+11

59%61%

57%60%58%56%

64%57%59%

64%61%

29%29%29%30%28%

32%26%

29%31%28%24%

Not ethicallyEthicallyAll

ABC1C2DE16-3435-54

55+

With childrenWorkers

Graduates

MenWomen

Q “How ethically do you think British business generally behaves?”

Improving perceptions among many subgroups, especially those aged 55+

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010 Circles indicate that the change figures are statically significant at 95% confidence level

Ethically Change 09-10

++7

+9

+7

+8

+6+9

+5

+6

+4+9

38%

20%

27%

16%

This year, SEVEN MORE PEOPLE IN 100 think business ethics is improving than last year

Same

More ethically

No opinion

Q “How do you think British business is behaving now compared with ten years ago – is it behaving more ethically than ten years ago, less ethically, or the same?”

Less ethically 27

20

38

2010%

0Same

-7Less

+7More

Change‘09-‘10

+

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; 20th-26th August 2010Circles indicate statistically significant

differences at 95% confidence level

+7% SWING

38%35%

40%43%

31%35%

42%35%

44%41%39%

20%24%

16%15%

26%18%17%

24%13%

19%16%

Less ethicallyMore ethicallyAll

ABC1C2DE16-3435-5455+

With childrenWorkersGraduates

MenWomen

Q “How do you think British business is behaving now compared with ten years ago?”

Several groups are more positive this year, especially those aged 55+ - and women

More ethically Change 09-10

++7

+4

+4

+9

+8

+6

+2

+6

+11

+3

+5

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010 Circles indicate that the change figures are statically significant at 95% confidence level

35%24%

23%21%

20%19%

17%16%

15%14%

12%11%

6%

Executive pay still top concern, but declining

Q “In your view of company behaviour, which two or three of these issues most need addressing?” Change

09-10 +-7

+1

+1-2-3-2+3+1

0+2+1+3

Executive pay

Environmental responsibility

Discrimination in treatment of people

Openness with information

Employees being able to speak out about company wrongdoing

Sweatshop labour

Harassment and bullying in the workplace

Work-home balance for employees

Safety and security in the workplace

Treatment of suppliers

Bribery and corruptionAdvertising and marketing

practices

Fair and open pricing of products and services

-6

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; 20th-26th August 2010 Circles indicate that the change figures are statically significant at 95% confidence level

Q1. “How ethically do you think British business generally behaves?”

Ethics of British Business - Details

Grad- Work WithTotal Men Women 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE uates* -ers children

% % % % % % % % % % %

Very 3 4 2 4 4 2 3 3 3 4 3

Fairly 56 57 55 53 60 55 56 56 57 60 58

Not very 24 24 24 29 22 22 25 23 28 24 21

Not at all 5 5 5 4 4 7 5 5 3 4 3

No opinion 12 10 14 12 10 14 10 14 9 8 14

Very/fairly 59 61 57 56 64 57 60 58 59 64 61

Not very/not at all 29 29 29 32 26 29 30 28 31 28 24

Net ‘ethical’ 30 33 28 24 38 28 30 31 28 36 37

Circles indicate statistically significant differences at 95% confidence level (only

summary codes tested, compared to all figure)* Graduates = all those with a degree

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010

Q2. “How do you think British business is behaving compared to ten years ago?”

Change in Past Decade - Details

More ethicallythan 10 years ago 38 35 40 35 42 35 43 31 44 41 39

Less ethically 20 24 16 18 17 24 15 26 13 19 16

No difference 27 29 25 24 30 28 30 24 32 29 26

No opinion 16 12 19 23 11 13 13 19 12 11 20

Circles indicate statistically significant differences at 95% confidence level

(compared to all figure)* Graduates = all those with a degree

Grad- Work WithTotal Men Women 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE uates* -ers children

% % % % % % % % % % %

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010

Q3. “In your view of company behaviour, which two or three of these issues most need addressing?” (Top mentions)

Circles indicate statistically significant differences at 95% confidence level (compared

to all figure)* Graduates = all those with a degree

Most Pressing Ethical Issues – Details (1)

1822192623272423242524

Employees speaking out about wrongdoing

1817201520191717171817

Fair and open pricing of products/ services

1718192018241716241419

Workplace harassment/ bullying

2020191921181725211920Discrimination in treatment of people

1922281625172125212121Environmental responsibility

2323221925222520252023Sweatshop labour

3539353635354129323935Executive pay

Grad- Work WithTotal Men Women 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE uates* -ers children

% % % % % % % % % % %

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010

Q3. “In your view of company behaviour, which two or three of these issues most need addressing?” (Top mentions)

Circles indicate statistically significant differences at 95% confidence level (only summary codes tested, compared to

all figure)

* Graduates = all those with a degree

Most Pressing Ethical Issues – Details (2)

710812101610891311Bribery and corruption

76847548476Advertising and marketing practice

91318815131210101412Treatment of suppliers

121511131518159131514Openness with information

182023111982316141715Work-home balance for employees

1614121915181517171616Workplace safety/security

Grad- Work WithTotal Men Women 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE uates* -ers children

% % % % % % % % % % %

Base: 1,019 British adults 16+; Subgroups (min 215, max 532); 20th-26th August 2010

MORI Founder: BIE President Sir Robert Worcester:

“Over the past year there has been a significant recovery in the British public’s belief that British businesses generally act responsibly. Now by a margin of two to one the public thinks this to be true. Increasingly British companies are concerned about their corporate responsibilities and are acting more responsibly, in the way they deal with their customers, their employees, the way they do business, and importantly, through their corporate communications are telling people what they are doing to act notjust in the interests of their shareholders, but in the interests of all of their many stakeholders.”

– Sir Robert Worcester, Founder, MORI

President, Institute for Business Ethics

For more information please contact: Jenny Dawkins +44 (0)20 7347 3087

jenny.dawkins@ipsos-mori.comOur ref: 10-023823-01