Faith in Firms—as Low as You’d Expect

Employees’ trust and loyalty naturally decline in market downturns, when layoffs and other abrupt strategic changes are required. Early results from my ongoing research on this topic indicate that a trust problem has indeed accompanied the latest recession. Survey data collected in 2009 (including responses from more than 700 managers in dozens of countries) show that workers have a worrisome lack of faith in their companies and direct bosses. Here are some highlights.