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BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
britainthinks.com
Trust In Institutions16th October 2018
A BritainThinks Breakfast Briefing
2BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Contents
What’s the issue? Who does this matter most for?
Where might the solution lie?
01 02 03
3BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
01 What’s the issue?
Trust in institutions has long been identified as essential to the functioning of modern democracies
4BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
Making long-term decisions, e.g. investing in a pension plan or going to university,
because we can trust that there will be a return from this
Helping us to make sense of large amounts of information by relying on the
reputation of the source
And on a personal level, trust in institutions is critical for decision-making:
“Democracy and trust have an essential but paradoxical relationship to one another. Democracies depend on trust among citizens, enabling them to depend upon one another.
Trust in governments enables citizens to provide collectively conditions for good lives.”
The Oxford Handbook of Social and Political Trust
But public trust is low across society and in most of our major institutions
5
BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
In GovernmentIn businessIn the third sector
trust Government
36%trust business
43%trust NGOs
46%In the media
trust media
32%
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2018
Low trust is particularly pronounced in but by no means unique to the UK:
53% +7 52% +9 43% +7 43% +11
Recent news has focused on how this has changed over time, and on a decline in trust
6BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
But actually, the picture is more complex than this. Public trust has been low for some time
7BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003
Government Business Media NGO
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2003-2018
The public have not always liked many of these institutions, people and organisations, but at least they were behaving in a way that was consistent with
their expectations
The public has long been calling into question the motivations of institutions in society
8BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
…Government…Particularly in business… …and media…
“They don’t know anything about real life: their daily shop probably costs what our weekly
shop costs.”
“Nothing will change because most politicians are millionaires. The system is
loaded in their favour.”
“They just follow their own rules. They’re above
the law and can do whatever they like.”
In more recent times, though, the public have also been calling into question the basic competence of their leaders and institutions
9BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
For the public, motivations of people, organisations and institutions being out of sync with their own is one thing, but now they feel they can’t even trust them to
get the basics right (despite their pay, connections and other privileges)
The interplay between mistrust in motivations and incompetence has seen even some of the most trusted institutions fall from grace
10BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
Concerns about CEO pay in the charity sector were
justified as needing to attract really talented people to the
sector
But headlines about controversial fundraising
practices called into question the motivations of
organisations in the sector
And the most recent failures on safeguarding spoke both to
incompetence and to poor motivations
This matters now more than ever before
11BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
What’s the issue?
Deeply entrenched divisions in society are seeing an increasing
proportion of people feeling left behind, disenfranchised
and under-served by the establishment
Economic conditions are likely to worsen. Those who
voted for Brexit are most likely to be affected by any
negative economic consequences of the UK
leaving the EU
The echo chamber makes it harder than ever for
organisations to own the narrative and get out their
message
70%“I don’t believe that
national government listens
to my concerns”33% Are reading or
listening to the news less
12BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
02 Who does this matter most for?
We looked at a range of organisations, people and institutions across society on the two key metrics of competence and motivation
13BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
• Accountancy firms• Advertisers• Airlines• Automotive companies• Charities• Gas and electricity
companies• Government• Healthcare professionals• High street banks• Insurance companies• Investment banks• Journalists• Landlords• Law firms• Pharmaceutical companies
• Politicians• Restaurants and fast food
chains• Royal Mail• Social media• Supermarkets• Technology companies• Telecomms companies• The Church• The NHS• The Police• Trade unions• Train companies• Universities• Water companies• Your local Council
We asked 3 key questions, designed to explore competence:• Q1. Regardless of whether you like them or not, how
good or bad do you think that each of the following are at what they do?
And motivation:• Q2a. How far, if at all, do you trust each of the following
to act in society's best interests?• Q2b. How far, if at all, do you trust each of the following
to act in your own best interests?*
• Fieldwork dates: 3rd – 5th October 2018• Base size: 2086, representative of UK adults• Method: Online• *The average of Q2a and Q2b has been taken to give a
‘motivation score’
There is a clear positive correlation between competence and motivation, though most do better on the former than the latter
14BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
Positive competence, negative motivation
Positive competence and motivation
Negative competence and motivation
100%
100%
-100%
-100%
Politicians
Train companies
Government
LandlordsJournalists
Your local Council
Investment banks
Social media
The Church
Trade unions
Insurance companies
Gas & elec. companies
Advertisers
High street banksAccountancy firms
Water companies
TelecommsLaw firms Pharma
Automotive
Airlines
Charities
Universities
The police
Technology companies
Royal Mail
Restaurants and fast food chains
NHS HCPs
Supermarkets
Net m
otivation
Net competency
Net competence = % good at what they do minus % bad at what they doNet motivation = % trust to work in their own/society’s best interests minus % do not trust to work in their own/society’s best interests
Your local CouncilThe Church
Trade unions
High street banksAccountancy firms
Water companies
TelecommsLaw firms Pharma
Automotive
Airlines
Charities
Universities
The police
Technology companies
Royal Mail
Restaurants and fast food chains
NHS HCPs
SupermarketsNet
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
Many organisations, people and institutions score positively on both competence and motivation
15BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
100%
100%0%
NHSHealthcare
professionals
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
The NHS – and the people who work for it – emerge as the most trusted institution on both competence and motivation
16BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
100%
100%0%
“It is one of the best health services in the world, and
we should cherish it.”
• Despite negative headlines about budgets and blunders, the NHS and healthcare professionals remain highly trusted by the public
• Qualitatively, the public describes a perception that:• Its motivations are clearly aligned with the public’s. The
health service is perceived as working hard in the face of budgetary restraints, rather than being motivated by saving (or even making) money
• Their own personal experiences of the NHS are often positive and surpass expectations. This speaks to high levels of competency by NHS frontline staff
• The NHS is unique and exceeds standards in most of the rest of the world
Supermarkets
Ne
t m
otiva
tio
n
Net competency
Supermarkets score among the highest on competence, and perform the best of all profit-making organisations
17BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
100%
100%0%
“It’s the whole price promise thing: money back and price cuts and the price comparison.”
• Just a few years on from the ‘horsemeat’ scandal and
accounting irregularities, supermarkets perform the best of all
businesses on the two trust metrics of motivation and
competency
• Qualitatively, supermarkets are held up as an example of a
business where customers can ‘vote with their feet’
• Greater choice and competition in the sector in recent years is
seen as causing major supermarkets to ‘up their game’ and to
focus on the things that matter most to customers: price and
customer service
Charities
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
Whilst still positively rated overall, charities fall behind supermarkets on both motivation and competence
18BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
100%
100%0%
“Obviously it is good that they do all that work, but when you’ve got a scandal in your head there is still that niggle at the back of
your mind. You can’t forget that.”
• Because altruistic motives are core to the identity of the charity sector, the standards for ‘motivation’ are particularly high, meaning that recent scandals are all the more damaging
• The work of the sector can also feel far removed, making it hard for the public to judge competency. At best, the public can question whether the sector is ‘well-meaning but ineffective’
“They feel very separate, they’re worlds apart. What goes on in Africa is not
comparable to what goes on in a charity shop in Hammersmith.”
Politicians
Train companies
Government
Landlords
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
Four groups receive an actively negative score on both competence and motivation
19BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
-100%
-100%
0%
Politicians
Government
Ne
t m
otiva
tio
n
Net competency
Politicians, and to a lesser extent Government, sit at the bottom of the pack on competency and motivation
20BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
“It’s just a complete mess. No one knows what’s happening, everyone’s fighting each other. It doesn’t matter how you voted, no
one wanted this. A total shambles.”
-100%
-100%
0%
• Government and politicians have long faced challenges with questions about motivation
• But from the financial crash onwards, the public has increasingly questioned the competence of politicians
• At present, politicians’ handlings of the
Brexit negotiations are particularly front of mind and there is a strong sense that no one’s interests are being served well• With both Remainers and Leavers dissatisfied
with the outcome so far
• And ‘don’t know’ more likely to be selected for
best PM than May or Corbyn
Landlords
Ne
t m
otiva
tio
n
Net competency
But landlords fare little better than politicians and Government on competency and motivation
21BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
“Landlords hold all the power. I have a two-month rolling contract and young kids. It keeps me up at night. I’m not happy here, this isn’t a home. I’ve never felt so vulnerable in my life.”
-100%
-100%
0%
• For the public, the housing crisis is one of the most tangible
symbols of a system that isn’t working for them
• In particular, there is perceived to be a power imbalance
between tenants and their landlords; whereby tenants can
keep putting prices up, without delivering on their duty to
provide decent housing
Journalists
Investment banks
Social media
Insurance companies
Gas & elec. companies
Advertisers
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
Six score positively on competence, but negatively on motivation
22BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
Social media
Insurance companies
Gas and electricity companies
Advertisers
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
A positive score on competence, but a negative score on motivation, also speaks to a perception of a power imbalance
23BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
0%100%
-100%
• Organisations with captive audiences have a greater challenge in getting their customers to trust in their motivations, even when they are positively rated on competence
• Qualitatively, the public conveys a sense of powerlessness when they describe their interactions with their energy and insurance providers in particular• There is a perception that providers are all much of a muchness,
who seek to catch them out with loopholes hidden in the Ts & Cs“It’s like the horse has already bolted [with the data you share on social media]. If I knew then what I know
now, I’d never have signed up, but it’s too late to do anything about it.”
“We need them [energy companies] more than they need us. We have to have the gas, we have to have the heating. It’s not a choice for us so they can do whatever they want, try to get out of us as much money as they can.”
“My insurer paid out on time
without any fuss and I felt like I’d won the lottery.”
In some cases, there is a gap in trust between organisations which are traditionally grouped together as one sector or industry
24BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
Positive competence, negative motivation
Positive competence and motivation
Negative competence and motivation
100%
100%
-100%
-100%
Investment banks
High street banks
Net
mot
ivat
ion
Net competency
“I know people who work in my local bank branch, they’re normal people. I’ve never met an investment banker
in my life.”
• Trust in financial services is generally documented at sector or industry level
• But these findings suggest that the picture is more nuanced: high street banks (narrowly) receive a positive score on both competence and motivation
• While investment banks score positively on competence, but their motivations are rated more negatively
And those that sit closest to the border on competence and motivation often suffer from a problem of low awareness
25BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
37%49% 43%
55% 61%
28%19% 33%
21%18%
34% 32%24% 24% 21%
Investment banks Accountancy firms Trade unions Law firms Automotive companies
Percentage who rate each of the following as good or bad at what they do
Don't know
Bad
Good
Limited understanding may not be a problem per se, but it makes it challenging to actively build trust and means there is little in the bank if things go wrong
“I’m not really sure what a union is and what it’s for. I’m in one because we all signed up when we started,
but I couldn’t tell you anything about what they do.”
“‘Professional services’ sounds like it’s probably quite good, quite professional I guess. But it doesn’t
sound like it’s something that can help me.”
The groups in society least likely to trust these organisations and institutions are more likely to:
26BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Who does this matter most for?
‘Distrusters’ = those who, on average across all organisations and institutions, gave low competency scores and low motivation scores‘Trusters’ = those who, on average across all organisations and institutions, gave high competency scores and high motivation scores
Be men:
62% are men, 38% are women
£23,180 average household income,
compared to £29,090 for ‘Trusters’
Have a low income:
Average age of 50.5, compared to 45.7 for
‘Trusters’
Be older: Travel less:
49% have taken a foreign holiday in the
last 3 years, compared to 73% of ‘Trusters’
27BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
03 Where might the solution lie?
28BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Where might the solution lie?
1. Understand why you’re not trusted, and address that first
‘Tricksy’ pricing (complex bills that make it hard for the customer to get a good deal,
and offers which only favour new customers) make it hard to (re)build trust
Case study: retail sector Case study: insurance sector
“What does my insurance company think about me?... I think they think I’m lazy and a
mug and that they can take advantage.”
Public awareness that a supermarket is laying off staff and rolling out zero hour contracts, means that their attempt to give charitable support for the local
community is dismissed
“How can I believe that they care about the community if at the same time they’re doing this, they’re making people unemployed?”
29BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Where might the solution lie?
2. Get ahead of the curve
For EU citizens who feel uncertain about their future in the UK after Brexit,
communicating as much detail of what is confirmed so far is reassuring
For people who live near a shale gas exploration site, explaining how fracking
works (ideally by an engineer) stops them from filling the void with myths and
misconceptions
Case study: public sector
Case study: energy sector
“I still feel angry about Brexit but I feel better about what’s going to happen to me and my family now I know some more about it.”
30BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Where might the solution lie?
3. Find mutual interests
CSR initiatives which feel tangential to thecompany’s core purpose are received
sceptically. But a partnership with a major housing charity and old people’s charity is
felt to be more credible and authentic
Investment in fraud prevention and fraud protection campaigns by a major bank
feels logical because banks don’t want to lose money, but can also benefit the
customer and society as a whole
Case study: energy sector Case study: financial services
“It makes me feel good that they are doing that. They can do practical things to help. Not
just donate money for the sake of it.”
“They’re not pretending that they’re doing this from the goodness of their heart. They’re doing it because it’s a win-win situation.”
31BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
Where might the solution lie?
4. Re-frame the conversation
Emphasising the size and scale of the City of London highlights the ‘us and them’ dynamic. Whereas focusing on
what the sector can enable for individuals, and the size of the sector outside London,
moves on the conversation
Making the case for overseas aid is met with scepticism. But focusing on a specific issue (i.e. Childhood Pneumonia) makes
it harder for a sceptical public to challenge, and garners increased support
for government spending abroad
Case study: financial services Case study: charity sector
“Hearing those big numbers about the City just makes them seem even bigger, and me
feel even smaller and more powerless.”
“When I hear ‘overseas aid’ I think about money going to India, not because they need
it, but because we want a trade deal.”
BritainThinks | Private and Confidential
britainthinks.com
Thank youFor more information:
Ben Shimshon Cordelia Hay Catrin Nichols+44 (0)207 8455880 +44 (0)207 8455880 +44 (0)207 8455880 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
BritainThinksSomerset House StrandLondon WC2R 1LA