Abernathy MacGregor’s “Corporations As Advocates: To Engage or Not to Engage? And If So, When?” offers a sound framework for determining whether, when, and how companies should speak out on social and political issues, which is increasingly expected by certain stakeholders*. The guidance entails becoming and staying informed of potentially hot topics and stakeholder positions; a methodical approach to decision-making that includes company-specific factors and risks; well-planned and well-considered action if the company decides to speak out on an issue; and associated follow-up and follow-through.
*See last week’s reports: “Public Looking to CEOs to Speak Out on Economic & Social Issues,” “Consumers Expect Companies to Walk Their Talk,” and “Trust in Business Remains High,” and additional resources on our Activism page »CEO.
This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!