Google has the best corporate social responsibility reputation, beating out Microsoft who held the top spot in 2012 and 2013, according to Reputation Institute’s annual CSR RepTrak.
Microsoft, Walt Disney and BMW are the no. 2, 3 and 4 companies, respectively, with the best CSR reputations globally. Apple, Lego, Volkswagen, Intel and Rolex (tie), and Daimler round out the top 10.
The 2014 CSR RepTrak Study, which ranks the world’s 100 most reputable companies based on citizenship, governance and workplace, provides a business case for embedding CSR and sustainability principles into corporate strategy and operations. The study shows that firms with better CSR reputations have a much higher ability to foster desired supportive behaviors among consumers, including buying their products, recommending their company, or trusting the company to do the right thing when faced with difficulties or disruptions.
The results from the study also show that many companies still struggle to effectively communicate their good corporate citizenship with the general public. More than half of the respondents from the US and the UK, for example, were neutral or uncertain when asked if a company was a good corporate citizen.