Leading in the spotlight
2016 Accenture Strategy survey—
Leadership in the age of radical transparency

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Many business leaders believe that customers
are more active than regulators/government
Now in the spotlight
C-suite leaders know their business operations are under scrutiny like never
before ‘thanks’ to digital technologies. Advances in digital technology have made
it easier for scrutiny by external stakeholders.
But who do executives believe to be the most active?
44%
Customers
22%
Regulators/
government
in using digital technologies to scrutinize their business operations X

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Perceptions of the spotlight
But C-suite executives are split as to whether this increased transparency is
41% an opportunity
a threat 31%

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Potential benefits of transparency
Business leaders agree that increased transparency helps:
Build stakeholder trust in:
Improve operations in:
86%
Internal
decision-making
84%
Internal
ethical conduct
All businesses
75%
Products &
services
87%
Brand
86%
Leadership
85%

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A trust tipping point
Read more about emerging digital technologies that are impacting business in
Why Artificial Intelligence is the future of growth, Technology Vision 2017.
While two-thirds (69%) of
leaders believe trust in
business has increased
as a result of digital
technologies today...
The majority (60%) believe the
use of emerging digital
technologies will make it
harder for businesses to be
trusted by their stakeholders
69% 60%

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Taking the lead
The majority of C-suite executives acknowledge that with the use
of emerging digital technologies, they will need to take more
responsibility in determining ethical conduct for their companies
and employees.
83%
And they
recognize the
need for a
broader
dialogue
amongst:
Government regulators
Businesses
Industry groups
Consumer groups
International bodies (courts, tribunals)
Investors/analysts
Media
Non-governmental agencies
Religious groups
Millennial leaders
are keen to engage
a broader ‘coalition
of society’ to set
ethical boundaries.
Learn More
50%
46%
37%
35%
30%
26%
22%
17%
8%

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But— do they underestimate their readiness for change?
Despite the challenge of being trusted in the future – and the reliance on other
stakeholders to set the boundaries of digital ethics…
of leaders believe
they have the skills to
operate effectively in
a world of increased
transparency.
84% of leaders believe their
organization/ workforce
has the right skills to
navigate future ethical
challenges raised by
digital technologies.
70%

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A proactive approach for leading in the spotlight
Leaders who want to capitalize on this new digital era need to:
Assess the implications of these emerging digital technologies
to get a true 360-degree view of threats and opportunities.
Build a broad coalition of stakeholders to develop data and
ethics guidelines now and on the horizon.
Understand and address the skills required to navigate the
complex ethical challenges introduced by emerging digital
technologies—starting at the top.
2
1
3

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About Accenture
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About Accenture Strategy
Accenture Strategy operates at the intersection of
business and technology. We bring together our
capabilities in business, technology, operations and
function strategy to help our clients envision and
execute industry-specific strategies that support
enterprise wide transformation. Our focus on issues
related to digital disruption, competitiveness, global
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both efficiencies and growth.
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Join the conversation:
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Download the full report:
www.accenture.com/ethicalleaders
About the research
In August 2016, Accenture Strategy surveyed over 350 C-suite level executives in eight geographies: Australia,
Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States. We wanted to understand how
business leaders view the increased transparency posed by digital technologies both now and in the future.
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