Corporate Perception Indicator

How the Corporate Perception Indicator was created

The first-ever Corporate Perception Indicator is a far-reaching survey of business executives and the general population from 25 markets.

The survey uncovered a sharp divide between the developed economies of North America and Western Europe and the emerging economies, such as China, Russia and Brazil. The differences are particularly evident in people's disposition toward corporate influence over government, corporate stewardship of the environment and, perhaps most importantly, the role corporations play as engines of job creation and economic growth.

Read MoreWhy Americans still put their faith in Main Street

From June 28 to Aug. 15, 2014, research firm Penn Schoen Berland surveyed 25,012 individuals and 1,816 business executives. The 70-plus-question survey covered a wide range of subjects related to how corporations are perceived, including the influence of corporate lobbyists on government, the roles of CEOs and other prominent members of society, and personal career aspirations.

Read MoreWorld agrees on a few things

The research was conducted for CNBC and Burson-Marsteller using an online questionnaire by Penn Schoen Berland in the native language of each global market, with a sample provided by Kantar. The total general population sample has a margin of error of ±0.62 percent. The total business-executive sample has a margin of error of ±2.3 percent.

A question-by-question summary of the results follows.