Companies that measure their purpose better results, but most still don't do so

Companies that measure their purpose better results, but most still do not measure it. This is reflected in the Fourth Barometer on the Implementation of purpose , sponsored by the Purpose Strength Project at the University of Navarra and IESE Business School. Prepared in partnership DCH—the International Organization of Human Capital Executives—and eleven business schools in Ibero-America (IPADE, UNIS-BS, IDE, INALDE, PAD, ESE, IAE, IEEM, ISE, AESE, and Barna Management School), the survey compiles responses from 584 executives in 18 Ibero-American countries.

The report that companies are articulating their purpose than ever: theaverage score average 5.01 out of 7, but the assessment performance linked to purpose 4.80, the lowest indicator in the entire survey. “In many cases, incentives run counter to purpose hinder its developmentnotes Álvaro Lleó, a professor in the School of Economics at the University of Navarra and report lead author.

The gap in strategic alignment is significant depending on a company’s revenue. Thus, organizations with revenue exceeding 500 million score 5.33, compared to 4.75 for those with revenue of less than 50 million. On the other hand, the impact that purpose on ESG aspects is 5.4 in companies with more than 500 employees, compared to 4.72 in those with fewer than 100.

Corporate Governance as a Lever

This year, for the first time, the barometer includes corporate governance as a lever to drive the implementation of purpose, revealing that it is the factor with the greatest statistical impact on sustainability results, but also the least developed. The risk map linked to purpose 4.35. In other words, companies see opportunities in purpose do not manage its risks.

On the other hand, leadership is the most highly rated factor, with a score of 5.19 out of 7. In this regard, executives believe in the company’s purpose demonstrate this through their behavior (5.43), but they find it more difficult to share it and make it their own (4.97).

The barometer, developed within the framework Purpose Strength Project, is now in its fourth edition and was compiled based on responses from 584 executives collected between March and May 2026. Seventy-eight percent are leaders, and 46% work in organizations with more than 500 employees. By country, executives were surveyed in Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.

Purpose Strength Project® is a university-based observatory on purpose , led by the School of Science at the University of Navarra and IESE Business School, which measures the impact of purpose the organizations that embrace it. Over the past nine years, the project has worked with nearly 80 organizations and has collected data more than 40,000 employees and 6,000 executives.