(Sponsored) LRN’s latest report on the effectiveness of ethics and compliance programs breaks new ground by examining both compliance team and employee perspectives, offering unprecedented insights into what makes high-impact programs succeed in 2025.
Inspiring principled performance has been at the heart of LRN’s mission for over three decades. With a steadfast commitment to helping organizations do the right thing, LRN has consistently sought to uncover what makes ethics and compliance (E&C) programs truly effective. The upcoming 2025 “Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report” continues this legacy, providing fresh insights into the evolving challenges and opportunities that shape the modern compliance landscape, marking 11 years of groundbreaking research on program effectiveness.
The 2025 report: A guide to elevating your E&C program
LRN’s 2025 E&C program effectiveness report reflects a decade-long dedication to understanding and defining the critical factors that set high-impact ethics & compliance programs apart. Every year, LRN conducts research by surveying compliance professionals and leaders on emerging trends, regional insights, technological advancements and regulatory shifts — and how they shape the modern compliance landscape. For the first time, this year’s study goes beyond the compliance team and examines perspectives from not only the professionals shaping E&C programs but also the employees living the experience of these programs. This dual approach reveals how ethical behaviors, values and perceptions align — or diverge — across an organization, offering a comprehensive view of program effectiveness.
This year’s report identifies what high-performing programs are doing differently to navigate today’s complex regulatory environments and emerging risks. From leveraging benchmarking data to prioritizing third-party compliance and addressing generational divides in workplace ethics, the report highlights actionable strategies for building resilient and agile E&C programs.
A key focus in the 2025 report is the examination of employee perceptions of leadership and how effectively an organization’s values are communicated and upheld. The findings reveal whether senior leaders and middle management are successfully translating ethical principles into actionable behaviors and fostering a culture of trust and accountability. The report also explores how generational differences influence these perceptions, with younger employees often bringing distinct perspectives on fairness, transparency and ethical responsibility.
Emerging risks and compliance priorities are another focus of the report, particularly as organizations navigate increasingly complex global challenges. Topics such as third-party due diligence, supply chain oversight and the integration of advanced technologies are explored and the difference in approaches toward these topics between high-impact and lower impact programs are evaluated.
LRN’s research also delves into the key challenges facing the compliance landscape and highlights key strategies undertaken by leading E&C programs in remaining resilient in the face of complex regulatory changes, budget constraints and other compliance hurdles.
The “2025 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report” serves as both a reflection of the current state of the E&C landscape and a guide for organizations striving to advance their ethical cultures. In addition to providing a snapshot of the current compliance landscape, LRN explores key trends that have emerged over the past several years. By analyzing shifts in program priorities, risks and strategies, the report offers valuable insights into how the E&C landscape continues to evolve, helping organizations understand how broader industry and societal changes are shaping the future of compliance.
Join the conversation: LRN’s masterclass on ethics & compliance program effectiveness
The “2025 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report” is more than just a snapshot of today’s compliance landscape — it’s a comprehensive guide to shaping the future of ethics and compliance programs. To bring these insights to life, LRN is hosting an in-person global masterclass event in New York City, offering a unique opportunity to engage with compliance professionals explore key findings from the report and gain actionable strategies to enhance your program’s impact.
Join us in New York City on Feb. 11 to dive into the report’s findings with expert insights from industry leaders and engage in a conversation on building high impact, resilient compliance programs and an organizational culture rooted in trust, fairness, and accountability.
