Quick Takes

在COVID-19流感大流行期间，人们对企业的信任度不断提高，企业仍然是公众最信任的机构之一，according tothe 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer. However, public trust declined in most industries — with technology, fashion, professional services and automotive seeing the most significant reversals.

因为生意比生意更可靠government和media, 86% of the public now expect CEOs to take the lead in解决社会问题— such as the pandemic’s impact, job automation and local community challenges.

COVID-19 has added to the public’s personal and societal fears, with many worried about the future of the workforce. For example, the majority of Trust Barometer respondents are alarmed by the rate at which companies could replace human talent withartificial intelligence.

Over 60% of global business directors surveyed said that COVID-19 accelerated their focus on ESG, sustainability and stakeholder value issues. Out of 2,000 respondents, the majority agreed that risk-scenario planning and decision-making needs to involve outside experts, according to thelatest GNDI survey.

在整个调查过程中，对ESG值的兴趣增加与其他高排名趋势相关。例如，63%的董事希望COVID-19能增加对人才的竞争。过去的调查显示，ESG表现较好的公司很可能同时拥有这两个方面better employee engagement和greater attractiveness给未来的人才。超过半数的受访者还认为，公司宗旨和董事会多样性将越来越受到重视。

Just 17% of directors surveyed were satisfied with their response and ability to provide oversight during the pandemic. Although directors can learn from their response, they can also work with their管理团队为未来的劳动力变化做准备-社会和经济。通过这样做，企业将更有能力吸收这些风险带来的冲击。

China surpassed the United States for the first time as the largest recipient of global foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2020. China attracted an estimated $163 billion, compared to $134 billion in the United States. Global FDI flows in 2020 were an estimated $859 billion compared to $1.5 trillion in 2019,according to联合国贸发会议。

中国的成功是由steady recovery in GDP growth和effective government programs that稳定投资在第一次封锁期间。东亚和南亚也出现增长，原因是香港的早期反弹和增长。数字经济整个印度。然而，西亚并没有经历类似的趋势，因为该地区的经济是稳定的devastated因为油价下跌。

The COVID-19 pandemic suppressed all investment activity — M&A deals, greenfield investment and cross-border finance deals. Global FDI flow is expected to remain weak in 2021. Although GDP growth and trade are expected to resume growth, investors will proceed with caution.

在英国和美国的调查中，近60%的受访者表示，一旦所有的员工都接种疫苗，他们将更愿意亲自去拜访企业。然而，最新的Oliver Wyman Forumsurvey indicates that less than half of Americans are “very willing” to get vaccinated, while nearly 15% said they would never get the COVID-19 vaccine. In comparison, 70% of U.K. respondents are “very or somewhat willing” to get the vaccine.

Vaccine skepticism in the U.S. is likely related to thesignificant dropof public trust in the government since the start of COVID-19. Americans received不清楚的信息from the previous administration about the pandemic. But businesses can help address this skepticism, as people’s trust in businesssurpasses他们对政府和非营利组织的信任。

Some companies are already assisting in the vaccine rollout, includingMicrosoft, Starbucks and Amazon. These large corporations can assist with data storage, appointment scheduling and the delivery of supplies, as well as offer space for vaccination centers. Eventually, this vaccination rollout canrevive the economy, benefiting the business community.