MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Should Your Brand Take a Stand?

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.

About the Author

Cynthia E. Clark is the John W. Poduska Professor of Governance at Bentley University.

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