NAVEX’s “State of Risk & Compliance Report,” based on a global survey of nearly 1,200 risk and compliance leaders, includes noteworthy data on board oversight and leadership culture, as well as ethics and compliance program headcount and budgets, speak-up programs, AI adoption, regional trends, and other governance and compliance topics.
The report suggests what NAVEX characterizes as a gap between board awareness and accountability. While a majority of respondents report that their boards receive regular compliance updates (54%), fewer say their boards provide strategic oversight of the compliance program (42%). As reflected in the chart below, boards are considerab ly less likely to participate in periodic compliance training or have a designated committee responsible for compliance oversight, and more than one-quarter of respondents report that their boards either engage primarily during crises or regulatory inquiries or have limited routine involvement.
The report also identifies a continued disconnect between leadership messaging and observed behavior. Although 70% of respondents say senior leaders encourage compliance and ethical conduct, only 55% believe those leaders model that behavior, and only 50% say leaders maintain that commitment when business pressures compete with compliance objectives. Similar patterns were reported for middle management and frontline managers, suggesting that consistently demonstrating ethical leadership remains an area for improvement throughout organizations.
Access additional resources on our Compliance & Ethics page.
This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!