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Trend: Shared responsibility of companies in participation and dialogue by 2026

The shared responsibility of companies... etc. – Daniel Uribe, Executive Director of the Corona Foundation


Trend: Shared responsibility of companies in participation and dialogue by 2026


What's the situation like?


Currently, the world faces a crisis of confidence in democratic institutions marked by polarization, disinformation, and low citizen participation. These dynamics impact the social, economic, and environmental context, and this, in turn, has led to a constant evolution in the business-political dialogue*: the way in which companies and their employees participate and can exert influence is adapting to promote more sustainable, inclusive, transparent, and prosperous environments.


* We understand business-political dialogue as strategic communication and the relationship between the private sector and governments, aimed at influencing public policies and practices with society that foster a sustainable and inclusive economic environment.


The trend for 2026


Undoubtedly, in 2026 and the years that follow, these types of complex situations will require changes in practices, relationships, and narratives.


In a context marked by polarization, disinformation, and democratic backsliding, companies in Colombia and globally must assume a more active role in building trust and strengthening democracy. This new paradigm requires organizations to integrate multi-stakeholder governance strategies, citizen deliberation, shared value, and social responsibility.


Global and national trends and their impact on businesses and talent:


1. Polarization and disinformation:


The rise of extremist narratives and the global democratic backsliding affect the

Corporate reputation demands ethical communication strategies. Therefore, companies will need to increase their demand for talent with critical thinking and media literacy skills. Likewise, they will need to implement employer branding strategies based on transparency and purpose to attract young people who value consistency, and they will also need to strengthen their transparency and oversight of corporate governance.


2. Democratic innovation:


Digital platforms and citizen deliberation are redefining participation, and companies are increasingly involved in multi-stakeholder governance processes, public-private partnerships, and co-responsibility to generate public value. This implies that, in terms of talent, they will need to strengthen capabilities or increasingly engage leaders with skills in negotiation, dialogue, sustainability, and managing collaborative environments.


3. Uncertain Geopolitics:


The fragmentation of alliances and technological tensions are having a significant impact on national and business agendas. This indicates that companies will increasingly need to have people on their teams with critical skills in risk analysis, adaptability, and strategic thinking.


4. Crisis of confidence in Colombia:


The 2026 elections are marked by indecision and rejection of the parties

traditional. With this in mind, companies must strengthen their social role and create spaces for dialogue and deliberation, strengthening their employees' relational and socio-emotional skills such as active listening and conflict management, which are essential.


5. Violence and democratic risks:


The persistent threats against social leaders, the low participation of young people in public affairs, and the global and national democratic backsliding are shaping current political, social, economic, and cultural dynamics. Therefore, the private sector must strengthen its involvement in corporate programs that promote inclusion and diversity to reduce inequalities and increase sensitivity to conflict in business practices.


6. Greater awareness of the role of business in democracy:


There is a growing expectation that companies will not only generate economic value but also contribute to democratic stability. In light of this, companies will need to strengthen their teams or include professionals with expertise in corporate ethics, responsible leadership, and social impact management, as well as implement internal programs that foster civic engagement, diversity, dialogue, and deliberation.


Recognizing the impact of these trends, a correlation becomes clear with the talent and skills that companies need and will require in the coming years. In fact, the World Economic Forum's 2025 study on the future of work identified several specific skills as priorities for the future: analytical and creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, technological literacy (including AI and big data) , leadership and social influence, curiosity, and continuous learning . These skills reflect the need to combine technical knowledge with soft skills to adapt to a changing market.

constantly changing work environment.


In leadership development processes, more specifically, certain competencies have been identified as necessary, and we at Fundación Corona have been supporting their strengthening. These are the competencies that Colombians believe should be more prevalent in the country's leadership, according to the Lideroscopio study (2024).


Skills

Ways to develop them

Examples

Empathy

  • Incorporate "putting yourself in someone else's shoes" exercises into training processes.

  • Promote diverse teams (gender, ethnicity, generation, territory, role) and create safe spaces for all voices to be expressed.

  • Include questions about impacts on communities and stakeholders in decision-making.

The Leadership program

Transformative Public

implemented with

Fundación Origen has been

an experience in which

actors from different

sectors that hardly

They were in the

everyday life, they develop

leadership skills

while they recognize each other and

You change preconceptions

over others strengthening

their trust and willingness

to collaborate.

Openness to dialogue already

open listening

  • Design protocols for dialogue with external actors (communities, authorities, social organizations) that prioritize listening over defending one's own position.

  • Create regular spaces for multi-stakeholder conversation on public issues relevant to the territory.

The Territorial Dialogue Initiative implemented in Yumbo with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy and the Smurfit Westrock Foundation was recognized as a case study by the OECD Public Innovation Observatory as a multi-actor dialogue methodology to generate spaces for recognition, dialogue and co-creation to design public policy proposals in response to a local development challenge ( link ).

Involvement and co-creation

  • Include collaborators and actors from the territory in the design of participation initiatives and dialogue agendas (not just in the execution).

  • Use participatory methodologies (citizen laboratories, co-creation tables, internal participatory budgets) to define priorities and solutions.

Context recognition

  • Develop periodic diagnoses of the political, social and economic environment with the participation of local actors and not just external consultants.

  • Incorporate the voice of communities, authorities and organizations in the interpretation of environmental data.

The Cómo Vamos programs generate objective and subjective information to facilitate the understanding of cities and evidence-based decision-making for businesses, public institutions, and civil society.

Systems thinking

  • In decisions about participation and political dialogue, include a moment of analysis of the impacts on the system: who wins, who loses, what relationships are affected, what mental models are reinforced.

  • Promote cross-sectoral alliances that allow addressing public problems from multiple angles.

Identifying behaviors associated with phenomena that need to be changed, such as low youth participation, and designing communication and engagement strategies based on that analysis. For example, companies can leverage initiatives like Compromiso Valle, Compromiso Bogotá GOYN Bogotá, or Barranquilla.


Lessons learned and opportunities for the future


Lessons learned about citizen participation, democracy, and the role of business.


The experience of Fundación Corona in areas such as Yumbo, Buenaventura, Bogotá, and Barranquilla has demonstrated that citizen participation, including dialogue between politicians and businesses, is key to strengthening democracy and transparency. Through open government and public leadership programs, spaces for shared responsibility have been promoted, enabling accountability and building trust among stakeholders, while recognizing the role of businesses, their employees, and leadership. Similarly, the use of technology to strengthen participation, as in the cases of Marea Digital in Buenaventura and Chatico in Bogotá, demonstrates the potential of these tools to amplify diverse voices and allow for greater citizen influence on public decisions.


Colombian business leadership stands out for its focus on strategic transformation and innovation, prioritizing planning and productivity over mere operational efficiency. In fact, the 'Lideroscopio' report shows that business leadership is the primary reference point for leadership among Colombians, with 22% of narratives associating companies as catalysts for social change. The same report also reveals that more than 25,000 people have been impacted by leadership training programs in Colombia over the last two decades, with an emphasis on practical skills, resilience, and experiential learning. Furthermore, there has been a growing sense of shared responsibility between companies and employees regarding how they address and respond to citizens' needs, recognizing their capabilities and strengths. In this regard, a study by ANDI (National Association of Industrialists) acknowledges the growth in private social investment, as well as the increase in the development of new financing schemes that promote an impact economy: tax-for-infrastructure projects, results-based payment schemes, and impact investing.


According to ANDI's 2025 Private Social Investment Report, in 2023 private companies in Colombia allocated COP 5.8 trillion to voluntary social investment (the highest figure recorded by ANDI in its five measurements). Furthermore, 74% of companies align their social strategies with their business operations, and 66% manage their impacts through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), with an emphasis on education (61%), humanitarian aid (46%), and the environment (44%). The same report also indicates that ANDI-affiliated companies have a presence in 97% of the national territory, and 44% promote corporate volunteering to strengthen their employees' sense of belonging.


According to the Works for Taxes 2025 study prepared by the Ideas for Peace Foundation, since 2018 the Works for Taxes mechanism has mobilized $3 trillion in 410 projects, benefiting more than 7 million Colombians in areas prioritized by the Territorial Development Programs (PDET) and the Zones Most Affected by the Armed Conflict (ZOMAC). The same study shows that the annual allocation increased from $250 billion (2018-2021) to $1 trillion in 2024 and $1.1 trillion in 2025, reflecting the priority given by the government to this mechanism, and that the greatest investment has been directed towards road infrastructure (more than $1 trillion in 91 projects) and education (185 projects with $862.359 billion).


Participatory and deliberative democratic innovation has emerged as a response to global democratic backsliding. Cases such as the Citizen Assemblies or deliberative cycles in Bogotá, where participation has been generated through lottery and sustained deliberation has taken place on polarized issues in the city, have demonstrated the potential of these mechanisms to build consensus, strengthen citizen trust, and increase the legitimacy of public decisions.


Trust and co-responsibility: key lessons


Trust is becoming a strategic asset that reduces uncertainty, improves governance, and strengthens social cohesion. In business environments, trust drives productivity, innovation, and inclusion, as demonstrated by studies from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Private Council for Competitiveness, and experiences we have developed at Fundación Corona in recent years.


According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer , 63% of people in Colombia trust businesses, positioning them as the most trusted institution in the country, above the government and other actors. This level of trust has been maintained for the fifth consecutive year, although it is fragile and depends on businesses taking an active role in solving social and economic problems. Furthermore, 83% of respondents expect businesses to create well-paying jobs, and 81% expect them to offer training to maintain future competitiveness. In this regard, the Business Confidence Index (BCI) rose to 9 points in September 2025, showing a recovery and optimism in the private sector.


Co-responsibility, understood as a shared commitment among stakeholders, promotes transparency and reduces polarization. Practical models such as collective leadership and multi-stakeholder governance have been successfully applied in territorial development projects in Colombia, generating positive impacts on education, security, health, and employment.


At Fundación Corona, we have promoted this approach through the Participa+ model in Yumbo and Buenaventura, and by participating in initiatives such as Compromiso Valle and Compromiso Bogotá. These initiatives make a difference by forming multi-stakeholder coalitions where companies and their leaders participate directly in strategies for territorial development. Our experiences collaborating with companies, civil society, and local governments have allowed us to identify three key lessons that will guide future action:


1. Collaboration as a starting point for building trust. Trust isn't always the starting point, but it can be the result of concrete experiences of participation in shared and tangible matters. For this collaboration to be sustainable, an effective approach is to build it on a common agenda of shared interests, accompanied by clear objectives, roles, and agreements between the parties.


2. The two-way street of trust: trusting and being trustworthy. Experience confirms that trust is built reciprocally, between someone who trusts and someone who is trustworthy, whether institutions or individuals. For successful collaborations, the legitimacy of the initiator is key, a role the private sector can assume, bolstered by the levels of trust reflected in the Edelman Trust Barometer. Delivering on promises and making this visible strengthens credibility and sustainability, solidifying companies as essential players in generating security and trust in multi-stakeholder processes.


3. Encounters and narratives to build trust. Strengthening social trust requires creating intentional opportunities for diverse people to meet and changing the narratives that define us. Spaces where people who don't normally interact—due to origin, age, occupation, or environment—can get to know each other and collaborate help dismantle prejudices and generate empathy. At the same time, telling our stories differently, focusing our communications on positive and exemplary narratives, is key to transforming perceptions and nurturing relationships based on trust.


What is expected of companies in 2026?


  • Companies must take an active role in building trust and democratic innovation, integrating these trends into their human talent strategies.

  • Talent management should be geared towards purpose, social leadership, digital skills, and socio-emotional and critical thinking skills for complex environments.

  • Democracy needs innovation, trust, and youth participation to build

    fairer futures. Businesses are strategic allies in this process.

    linking human talent with social development.

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