Evan Pondel recently wrote an article for the National Investor Relations Institute’s magazine IR Update on how public companies are navigating social activism from an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspective.
Mixing business and politics has always been a taboo subject. For decades, executives operated under the assumption that expressing any sort of political belief would tarnish their reputation and alienate employees.
Not so these days.
Taking a stance on a topic with political or social implications is increasingly commonplace and often expected for companies, as evidenced by the #MeToo movement, the death of George Floyd, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The question is whether companies’ public reaction to such events is merely window dressing or an opportunity to effect change that enhances long-term shareholder value. Read Evan’s article to learn how companies are addressing these issues.