Who do you think are the most trusted institutions in America? Or the least trusted? (Unfortunately, attorneys are not considered an “institution” or else we’d all know they’d be at the bottom of the list.)
What’s your guess? Do you think the entertainment industry rates higher or lower than the news media? Do people view the Obama administration as having a more positive or negative effect on the country than technology companies? How about small business versus big business…who do people trust more?
As Silkin Management Group consults and trains small businesses on management, we are proud to see that the most trusted institution in the country is small business according to the recently released study by the Pew Research Center. And who’s at the bottom? It’s banks and financial institutions with Congress right on their heels. You can read about this study in the following article from USA Today: Small Business Pew Survey.
As noted by the author of the article and according to Carroll Dougherty, Pew’s Associate Director. “At a time when a lot of institutions are viewed negatively, small business is viewed very positively. What’s really interesting is that large corporations are viewed almost as negatively as Wall Street. The contrast between large corporations and small business is enormous.” And this was a very bi-partisan response – 70% of Democrats, 72% of Republicans and 73% of Independents concurred.
Read the article, you’ll find it very interesting. Silkin Management Group clients who read it found it very supportive of the work they do. Below is the chart given in this article and taken from the Pew study. I think you’ll find it fascinating.
PUBLIC’S NEGATIVE VIEWS OF INSTITUTIONS
Effect on the way things are going in the country (in percent)
| Positive | Negative | Other/Don’t Know | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business | 71 | 19 | 10 |
| Technology companies | 68 | 18 | 14 |
| Churches & religious orgs | 63 | 22 | 15 |
| Colleges & universities | 61 | 26 | 13 |
| Obama administration | 45 | 45 | 10 |
| Entertainment industry | 33 | 51 | 16 |
| Labor industry | 32 | 49 | 18 |
| Federal agencies and depts | 31 | 54 | 16 |
| National news media | 31 | 57 | 12 |
| Large corporations | 25 | 64 | 12 |
| Federal government | 25 | 65 | 9 |
| Congress | 24 | 65 | 12 |
| Banks & financial inst | 22 | 69 | 10 |
Pew Research Center March 11-21. Figures may not add to 100% because of rounding
Silkin Management Group consults and trains small business owners, primarily in the health care field. If you’d like more information about business or practice management or about Silkin Management Group and its services, visit our website at www.silkinmanagementgroup.com or contact us at: info@silkinmanagementgroup.com.
Larry Silver
President, Silkin Management Group
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!