Ethics Index 2022: Politicians fall to bottom of trust pile, climate change ‘not my problem’ and TikTok drops
Australia’s ethics have taken a tumble in 2022, falling for the second year in a row, the seventh annual Ethics Index has found.
Released today by Governance Institute of Australia, Ethics Index 2022 reveals an overall Ethics Index Score (a crunching of all data in the survey of 1000 people nationwide) of 42, down from 45 last year, and a significant fall from the five-year high of 52 in 2020.
State politicians register as the least ethical occupation, falling to last place with a net score of –22 (down from –10 in 2021, and 2 in 2020). Federal politicians and real estate agents sit just above in second and third last place.
Social media giant TikTok has emerged as the least ethical organisation (-32), this year falling below pay day lenders (-30). Facebook is in third lowest place for least ethical organisation (-28).
And while as a nation we have high ethical expectations for action on climate change, we seem to think it’s a task for everyone else with the Index showing the Federal Government and multinational corporations have the highest urgent ethical obligations to act (‘urgent’ score of 70), whereas individuals register as having the lowest obligation (‘urgent’ score of 47).
Governance Institute CEO Megan Motto said this year’s results show a downward trend in trust in Australia, and direct action is required to reverse this: ‘A stabilisation in trust and ethics had been hoped for this year but it was not to be. We are now seeing a distinct downward trend in trust and ethics. Given strong ethics are an indicator of a strong, well-functioning society, this is a major concern and this year’s results must serve as a red flag reminder of the importance of trust and ethics at all levels of our society.’
Ms Motto said the decline has been evident following 2020 when a coordinated and well communicated first response to the pandemic – plus a general sense that we were ‘all in it together’ – saw trust soar.
‘In the first pandemic year, we were on a more precise path. There was a strong ‘all in it together’ mentality. We put our trust in our governments and the medical profession and this was largely rewarded. But we have seen an unravelling since.
‘And as the intensity of a crisis lessens, we begin to interrogate the response. We see the other problems around us in the harsh light of day, such as health advice versus politics, multiple corporate and government scandals, workplace issues such as the return to the office and the ongoing ‘Great Resignation’, plus growing concern on issues such as climate change. As we continue to traverse the ‘new normal’ it seems we are a little less trusting, more cynical and more divided.’
Key findings of Ethics Index 2022:
| Occupation | Organisation | Sector | |
| Most ethical | Nurses (77) Fire services (75) Ambulance services (74) |
Pathology services specialists (66) Primary schools (65) Medical charities (64) |
Health (65) Education (62) Charities and NFPs (52) |
| Least ethical | State politicians (-22) Federal politicians (-20) Real estate agents (-18) |
TikTok (-32) Pay day lenders (-30) Facebook (-28) |
Media (-15) Large corporations (-3) Resource companies (-1) |
Current ethical dilemmas
| COVID-19 | 78% said they would take a test if COVID-19 symptoms appeared close to an interstate holiday. |
| Climate change | Federal Government has the highest urgent ethical obligation to act, whereas individuals register as having the lowest obligation. |
| Top ethical issues for business | Corruption, company tax avoidance, misleading & deceptive advertising. |
Time for an ethical reset
While ethics have fallen across many key categories, our society’s expectation of good ethics is growing with the Ethics Expectation Deficit – the gap between our expectations of how ethical something should be and how ethical we think something actually is – widening this year to -37 (-28 in 2021).
‘The wider the gap, the bigger the indication that society is not performing the way we want it to,’ Ms Motto said.
Ms Motto said we all have a role to play in finding better balance, whether that’s in the workplace, our neighbourhoods, or the corridors of political power.
‘Following two years of poor results, it’s time for an ethical reset for the nation. Organisations must reaffirm their commitment to ethics and creating a positive culture. If culture is not deeply entwined with your overall strategic plan, then there is more work to be done.
‘It is essential we are promoting good ethics in organisations, as well as good conduct.
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Media contact: media@governanceinstitute.com.au.
About Ethics Index
Annual survey of 1000 people nationwide, now in its seventh year, examining perceptions of ethical issues and conduct in Australian society. Survey carried out across a nationally representative sample (n=1,000) in August/ September 2022 and weighted according to age, gender and location. Released by Governance Institute, the research is conducted independently by Ipsos.
Compare this year’s Ethics Index to previous years. View past editions here.
About Governance Institute of Australia
A national membership association, advocating for a community of more than 43,000 governance and risk management professionals from the listed, unlisted and not-for-profit sectors. Our mission is to drive better governance in all organisations, which will in turn create a stronger, better society.