Leaders face tough choices on whether and how their businesses should take a public stance on current events. Today’s conflicts may be particularly precarious to navigate.
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images
Growing concern over polarizing culture wars points to the need for leaders to understand when it makes sense for their company to speak out — especially on an issue largely unrelated to their brand. People are divided on the prospect of businesses publicly stating their positions on potentially divisive topics, but employee opinion is also a key perspective to consider.
In a survey of 5,458 Americans that Bentley University recently conducted with Gallup, less than half of the respondents (41%) said that businesses should take a public stance on current events, down from 48% in 2022. However, there is a growing divide between generations. Fifty-three percent of younger Americans ages 18 to 29 are in favor of companies speaking out (down from 59% in 2022), but only 35% of those ages 45 and over share the sentiment (down from 41% and 43%, respectively, in 2022). Differences also fall along political party lines: Sixty-two percent of Democrats said businesses should speak out, while only 17% of Republican respondents agreed.
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Deciding Factors: Issues and Context
Research has found that when there’s a great deal of societal disagreement over a particular issue, thoughtfully considering the brand’s response is critical. Nearly equal numbers of people say they do or don’t want companies to speak out on divisive topics, so executives are in a bind: No response will please everyone. In a recent study by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, 65% of respondents said that companies have a responsibility to speak up, even if the issue is sensitive or controversial. However, in the Bentley/Gallup poll, only 15% of respondents said that companies should speak out about religion, and only 27% on international conflicts, compared with 55% for the topic of climate change.
Although the survey preceded the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel, it reflects a historically consistent scenario: Companies typically stay away from speaking out about religious conflicts. In recent months, however, we’ve witnessed unprecedented fervor regarding the ongoing war and the long-contested issue of Palestinian statehood. Indeed, speaking out is increasingly issue- and context-dependent.
Nearly equal numbers of people say they do or don’t want companies to speak out on divisive topics, so executives are in a bind.
For example, Google, which has historically encouraged employee debate,
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