Business leaders predict emergence of a more responsible economy

A survey by Business in the Community suggests that two thirds of business leaders believe that a more responsible economy will emerge from the recession and nearly all (97%), believe that individual business leaders must be seen to act to restore the confidence which has been lost due to the financial crisis.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive of Business in the Community (pictured) commented:

"The results of this survey should serve as a call to action to all business leaders. We cannot continue the way we have been going. We must learn from the mistakes that brought us to the greatest crisis in confidence in business and market capitalism since the 1929 Wall Street crash. Our own Leadership Teams, representatives of some of the UK and the world's most recognisable and powerful companies, have told us that they want to be a part of that solution, and indeed that they must lead by example. Business in the Community is here to support those companies in doing more to ensure that, collectively, we can restore consumer confidence in our organisations, while challenging those who lag behind to step up to the plate and take action."

The survey also asked respondents to state which three of a series of statements resonated most with them about what responsible leadership means. The top five responses were:

• factoring social and environmental issues into commercial business model (63%);
• supporting future business leaders to have a wider appreciation of business responsibility (36.8%);
• creating inclusive workplaces and removing barriers to progression (33.3%);
• supporting the most vulnerable communities in which you recruit, employ, trade and purchase (32.5%);
• talking publicly about responsible business issues and your organisation's response (31.6%).

For more information, including full details of the survey, click here.