Restoring trust in American business: the struggle to change perception

Purpose – To analyze the challenges for business posed by rising anti‐Americanism and anti‐globalism, the need to restore trust in business, and the demands of transparency. These considerable, but surmountable challenges are met by keeping pace with rapid change, through communicating and building reputation, and through modeling the concepts of “truth” and “trust” as the common currency of a robust world civilization. Design/methodology/approach – Focus on recent research into global attitudes toward business by Pew Global Attitudes Project, Edelman Annual Trust Barometer, NOP World, Global Market Insite; and on the PR Coalition White Paper, Restoring Trust in Business . Findings – Emerging best practices for combating anti‐Americanism and for restoring trust through ethical behavior, transparency, and board‐level commitment. Practical implications – Corporate development of public affairs and issues management strategies designed to mitigate the negative impact of rising anti‐Americanism and declining trust in business. Originality/value – Understanding a shift in global attitudes toward business results in informed decision making, strategic planning, and effective issues management and thought leadership.