Stakeholder trust can be a significant competitive advantage for organizations. By understanding what influences and drives stakeholder trust, firms can identify risks, focus their strategies for maximum benefit, and develop initiatives to help them weather erosions of trust.

This report examines key features in trust among five key stakeholder groups—the public, investors, employees, customers, and suppliers. It includes a series of questions that directors and managers should be asking to oversee and assess stakeholder trust and features profiles of four companies that focus on building trust: The Co-operators, Canadian Tire, IBM and eBay.