Business as a sector is more trusted than any other New Zealand institution according to a global survey, with nearly two thirds of people trusting employers to do what is right.
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The Acumen Edelman 2022 Trust Barometer suggests 61 percent of people surveyed expect businesses to build trust through leadership among employees, customers, investors and communities.
A reading above 60 percent indicates trust, while anything below 49 percent indicates distrust.
Acumen chief executive Adelle Keely said business was a standout in the latest annual survey, which otherwise revealed an ever-growing cycle of distrust around the world.
"The cycle is fuelled by a mix of economic pessimism, the perceived inability of key institutions to get results, inequality, and the pernicious effects of disinformation and fake news," Keely said.
The survey suggests the pandemic had placed more stress on political systems, with declining trust in some of the world's largest democracies including Australia which dropped 6 points to a still neutral position of 53 percent.
However, New Zealand's government moved against the trend, rising to a neutral position of 57 percent along with its non-government organisations.
Media including social media fared worse, dropping further below the global average of 50 percent to 41 percent.
"Trust in social media in New Zealand is among the lowest in the world which is unsurprising given concerns around disinformation and fake news being at an all-time high," Keely said.
"Our research shows that 70 percent of New Zealanders are worried about this and their default is to distrust something until they can see evidence that information is trustworthy."