As a decline in trust threatens our democracy, businesses are often forced to step into domains outside their control. In a piece for Quartz, Judy Samuelson, executive director of the Business and Society Program, says that it is unrealistic for companies to stay silent or remain neutral on social issues. CEOs must speak up to keep the trust of customers and employees. Samuelson believes that businesses and workers fundamentally want the same thing: for the company to flourish long-term while operating with a set of shared values. To generate trust in the business sector, company leaders must demonstrate that they are putting a healthy society ahead of profits.
