The 2025 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report builds on LRN’s decade-long research into what drives effective ethics and compliance programs. This year’s report, based on surveys of over 1,500 E&C professionals and 1,500 employees worldwide, explores how organizations can navigate emerging risks, bridge leadership and employee perception gaps, and build ethical cultures that reduce risk and foster trust. 

By analyzing key differentiators between high-performing and underperforming programs, the report provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their programs and drive meaningful cultural change. 

Global Highlights: 

• Benchmarking drives success 
  High-Impact programs are nearly 2x more likely to leverage benchmarking and analytics to enhance performance. 

• Leadership perception gaps persist 
  E&C professionals report a 42-point disparity between executives and middle managers on ethical decision-making, while Gen Z employees report the lowest managerial trust levels. 

• Emerging risks demand attention 
  Medium-Impact programs lag behind by up to 2.3x in areas like third-party due diligence and supply chain compliance. 

• Persistent challenges remain 
  Top hurdles include outdated systems (64%), regulatory complexity (59%), and resource constraints (55%), highlighting opportunities for technology and innovation.