26. Glasgow Business January/February 2014


TIME TO R TRUST IN B


Leading figures in the business I


n the first of the 2013 Glasgow Talks season Shonaig Macpherson, a non-executive director and former leading commercial lawyer, spoke about trust. Her talk was a thoughtful exploration of what


the loss of trust in public institutions means for business and for the community. Shonaig said: “Trust seems to have evaporated


across all institutions – government, politicians, civil service, business, media, church, BBC, NHS – I cannot recall a time in my life when it seems as though the foundations of all of our important institutions in society have been shaken.” She said that had major implications for the


society in which our businesses operate. Shonaig defined trust in business in the


following words: » Ability – competence to carry out a task » Reliability/constancy » Effectiveness » Integrity – operating in accordance with ethical principles of honesty and fairness


» Benevolence – having due concern for the interests of suppliers, customers, employees and stakeholders generally. She said: “It’s about a firm belief in someone or


something which is backed up by a corresponding duty by that someone or something to be responsible in such a way as to earn that belief.” Shonaig also threw down the gauntlet to the


business community to deal with this issue, to keep it at the forefront of our minds. She said: “If Glasgow is to flourish in the 21st


century, we need a new partnership across all institutions in the city. We all need to trust one another – why doesn’t business take the lead?” Part of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s


response to that was to ask all of the other speakers in the Glasgow Talks during 2013 about their view of trust. Here are their thoughtful responses – worth


pondering for the sake of all our businesses and institutions and their standing within wider society.


Gavin Hewitt Former Chief Executive, Scotch Whisky Association


“Trust maters hugely to the Scotch whisky producers. It is a question of


delivering to our consumers the quality and integrity of a premium globally traded spirit drink that our advertising and promotion promises. Tat is why the Scotch Whisky Association spends almost half its budget on policing the market and removing drinks that trade on the reputation of Scotch, but are not Scotch whisky. We are going even further by instituting a programme whereby all Scotch whisky brands will be checked and verified to ensure their authenticity. “We are very conscious that alcohol harm is


too common in Scotland. We believe in doing something about it. We are proud to be working in partnership with the Scotish Government to change atitudes to alcohol in Scotland. It is reassuring that recent studies show that atitudes are changing and that partnership works.”


Gerry O’Donnell Public Affairs Director, Edrington


“Trust is fundamental. In 1961, the Robertson sisters created the modern era of Edrington when they gave all


their shares in the business to the Robertson Trust. Te integrity they personified has run through the business for over half a century and is an essential component of the way we do business. In the present day more than 90 per cent of Edrington’s business comes from exports; when we are dealing with so many nationalities and cultures it’s important that people know they can trust us.”


Anton Muscatelli Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Glasgow


“Tere is no doubt that in higher education, trust is of the utmost


importance. Higher education is the ultimate


experiential good, which means that reputation and trust among prospective students are critically important. So sustaining reputation and brand is critical for a university. “Te same applies to research: it is vital that


integrity and trust in our academic research is maintained and that means (inter alia) that we


Above: Shonaig Macpherson


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