Oxford-GlobeScan Corporate Affairs Survey 2025

High-level Survey Findings and Key Learnings from Webinar Discussion

The Corporate Affairs Academy at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and GlobeScan recently hosted a webinar to share high-level findings from our authoritative Oxford-GlobeScan Corporate Affairs Survey 2025.

The webinar was hosted by Rupert Younger, Director of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, Stewart Prosser, Associate Director at the Saïd Business School’s Academy for Corporate Affairs and Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan. They were joined by Tracy Noe, Ntyatyi Petros and Herman Betten, who are senior Corporate Affairs leaders from the USA, South Africa, and Europe respectively.

Key findings shared:

• Geopolitical risk and uncertainty remain the biggest risk while the impact of macro-economy on business has risen to the second biggest risk. 
• For the first time since the inception of this survey in 2020, governance has become the highest reputation risk, pushing environment into second position and social in third. 
• Corporate Affairs practitioners in especially North America, Europe and Latin America, reported increased resistance against ESG, while also seeing a reduction in ESG commitments. This goes hand-in-hand with a reduced appetite to communicate on ESG issues. 
• Capturing the social context within which the business operates remains a focus of Corporate Affairs practitioners with more spending time on this brief together with greater efforts around understanding and engaging their stakeholders and managing risks to the organisation’s reputation. 

Key learning shared by the panel:

• Decoding Fast-Changing Environments: Corporate affairs professionals play a crucial role in interpreting and navigating the rapidly changing geopolitical and macroeconomic landscapes – an essential skill for guiding organizations through external pressures and ensuring strategic alignment. 
• Strategic Compass: Corporate affairs serve as a strategic compass for organizations, with storytelling being a powerful tool. Effective storytelling helps navigate and communicate complex issues, making it a valuable asset in a tech-driven world. 
• Integrating ESG for Value Creation: The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into business strategies is vital for creating value. Companies must balance risk management with proactive ESG communication to enhance their sustainability and resilience.  
• Importance of Internal Communications: Maintaining robust internal communications and employee engagement is critical, especially in the current geopolitical climate. Ensuring that employees feel connected and aligned with the company’s purpose is essential for organizational cohesion. 
• Collaborative Advocacy: Cross-industry collaboration in advocacy is becoming increasingly important. Corporate affairs professionals must work together across supply chains and industries to effectively address common challenges and influence policy. 

Watch the webinar recording