What you’ll learn on this podcast episode
The meaning of work has shifted, and employees across generational divides are demanding a reset. Data from a special edition of Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer—the Trust at Work report—notes that trust in “my employer” is higher than that of most institutions out there. But employees are expecting more, and their influence in the workplace is rising. How can companies leverage trust and adapt their own practices to better address employee concerns? On the season 10 finale of the Principled Podcast, host Emily Miner discusses key findings from the 2023 Trust at Work report with David M. Bersoff, the head of research at Edelman Trust Institute. Listen in as the two explore how employers can strengthen trust in the workplace and beyond.
Guest: David M. Bersoff, Ph.D.
David M. Bersoff is the Head of Research for the Edelman Trust Institute, Edelman’s think tank dedicated to advancing the study of trust in society. As the Institute’s Chief Trust Scientist, David is responsible for ensuring the quality, integrity, and scientific value of all of Edelman’s trust-oriented research, which includes the annual Trust Barometer, the biggest and longest running global study of institutional trust, as well as yearly topical studies examining issues such as climate change, trust in the healthcare system, trust in the workplace, trust in brands, and racial justice. He also oversees all of the Trust Institute’s external research projects done in partnership with other academic, social policy, and philanthropic institutions.
Prior to joining Edelman in 2016, David spent 17 years as a consumer insights and marketing strategy consultant at The Futures Company (nee Yankelovich). In his last 5 years with the organization, he served as its Chief Insights Officer and was a member of its global board of directors. In that role, he ran the Global Insights Group and drove the research, data analysis, IP creation and product development strategy for all of their syndicated consumer insights offers. In addition to his background in IP development and insights product management, David has also served as a trusted advisor and marketing/brand strategy consultant to major clients in industries as diverse as financial services, automotive, media, professional organizations, energy, and the military.
Before entering the consulting world, David spent 12 years engaged in social science research at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an assistant professor of social psychology and research methodology and served on its IRB.
In addition to this work, David’s thought leadership activities include serving on the advisory boards of research projects stewarded by the Global Listening Project, Weave: the Social Fabric Project, and the World Values Survey Association.
David holds a BA summa cum laude in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in social psychology, both from Yale University.
Emily Miner is a vice president in LRN’s Ethics & Compliance Advisory practice. She counsels executive leadership teams on how to actively shape and manage their ethical culture through deep quantitative and qualitative understanding and engagement. A skilled facilitator, Emily emphasizes co-creative, bottom-up, and data-driven approaches to foster ethical behavior and inform program strategy. Emily has led engagements with organizations in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy, professional services, and education industries. Emily co-leads LRN’s ongoing flagship research on E&C program effectiveness and is a thought leader in the areas of organizational culture, leadership, and E&C program impact.
Prior to joining LRN, Emily applied her behavioral science expertise in the environmental sustainability sector, working with non-profits and several New England municipalities; facilitated earth science research in academia; and contributed to drafting and advancing international climate policy goals. Emily has a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a degree in Anthropology.