Building Trust Beyond Transactions
Trust is often discussed as a business value. Increasingly, it is also being recognized as a measurable business asset.
That belief sits at the center of a new strategic partnership between BBB Central Indiana and the Indiana Center for Business Ethics (ICBE) — a collaboration focused on helping Indiana organizations strengthen ethical leadership, workplace culture and long-term marketplace trust.
Across the country, many local Better Business Bureau organizations complement their membership-based work through affiliated charitable foundations focused on education, ethics and marketplace trust initiatives. Through this partnership, BBB Central Indiana has the opportunity to align with an emerging Indiana organization already leading important research and educational work in the field of business ethics, allowing both organizations to amplify impact without duplicating efforts.
While ICBE is a newly formed organization, it is led by some of Indiana’s most respected voices in ethics, compliance, organizational culture and leadership. Founded by Frank D. Walker, chairman emeritus of Walker Information, and led by Melissa S. Barnes, former chief ethics and compliance officer and senior vice president of enterprise risk management at Eli Lilly and Company, ICBE represents decades of leadership experience dedicated to helping organizations build cultures grounded in integrity and trust.
The organization itself reflects a meaningful vision: helping position Indiana as a state where businesses are increasingly recognized not only for innovation and growth, but also for ethical leadership and responsible business practices.
Both organizations approach trust from different — but highly complementary — perspectives.
For more than a century, Better Business Bureau has worked directly with businesses and consumers to help create a more trustworthy marketplace. Every day, BBB sees firsthand how reputation, transparency, communication and accountability influence consumer confidence and long-term business success.
ICBE brings a research and education focus to that same conversation, helping Indiana organizations better understand how ethics and organizational culture directly impact employee engagement, retention, leadership credibility and marketplace reputation.
The partnership reflects a shared belief that trust is not built through marketing alone. It is built through consistent actions, ethical decision-making, healthy workplace cultures and leadership behaviors that align with what organizations promise externally.
Recent statewide research conducted by ICBE reinforces why this work matters. In its inaugural study of 1,000 Indiana employees, organizations with stronger ethical cultures also demonstrated higher employee retention, stronger trust in leadership and more positive workplace engagement. At the same time, the research revealed meaningful perception gaps between leaders and employees — particularly around communication, integrity and employees’ confidence in reporting concerns safely.
Those findings mirror what BBB sees across the marketplace every day: Businesses that intentionally invest in trust tend to build stronger customer relationships, stronger teams and greater long-term stability.
Through this partnership, BBB and ICBE will work together to provide Indiana businesses with practical education, workshops, tools, research insights and leadership resources designed to help organizations strengthen both internal culture and external reputation.
Importantly, this initiative is intended for organizations of all sizes. While ethics and trust are often discussed in the context of large corporations, small and midsize businesses face many of the same challenges — building strong teams, creating accountability, communicating clearly and maintaining credibility in increasingly competitive markets.
As Indiana continues to position itself as a state where business is done the right way, this collaboration aims to help organizations intentionally build cultures grounded in integrity, transparency and trust.
Businesses and community leaders interested in supporting ongoing business ethics education and research initiatives in Indiana will have opportunities to engage with and support ICBE’s work in the future.
Because in today’s marketplace, trust is not simply a principle to admire. It is an advantage to build.
