If there is a conviction, there may be some increased public trust of business, although not a lot.  If there is not a conviction, I think public's perception of business will be that a CEO can get away with anything.  That is likely to be the perception accompanying a not guilty verdict even if the evidence supports such a verdict.  The public is convinced that this was a moral disaster regardless of what the jury says.

Timothy L. Fort
Academic Advisor, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics
Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics at George Washington University Business School

A conviction will give people a sense that justice has been served and may in a small way help to restore the public trust in business. Restoring the public trust in business, however, is a long road and will have to be accomplished company-by-company and industry-by-industry over time.

R. Edward Freeman
Academic Director, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics
Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, The Darden School

Enron is now shorthand for business failure rooted in corruption—in the public mind, it stands for all of the recent scandals.  The current challenge being taken up by the hundreds of ethical business leaders is how to restore the public perception of business as the engine of employment, economic growth, innovation, and long-term value creation.

Dean Krehmeyer
Executive Director, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics

This trial is VERY important.  Although many other companies have been involved in scandals, Enron became the poster child for corporate malfeasance.  The public has been waiting for a long time for these trials and it will be important for them to perceive that justice was done.  Doing so may not change the public's perception of business, but hopefully it will change the perception that crime pays.

Linda K. Trevino
Academic Advisor, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics
Professor of Organizational Behavior and Cook Fellow in Business Ethics, The Pennsylvania State University

The trial provides a small but important signal that corporate executives can and should be held accountable for the gross misconduct that happens within their organizations. Indeed, when incidents like Enron happen, we should start with the assumption that top management is aware of, and complicit in, such activities. It is also a reminder that white collar crime is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Andrew Wicks
Academic Advisor, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics
Associate Professor of Business Administration, The Darden School