US Corporate Citizenship Survey

The preliminary results of a US survey shows significant management support for corporate citizenship but reveal gaps between the attitudes and actions of corporate executives and disparities between public expectations and business practices.

Every two years the Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship surveys a cross-section of U.S. executives on issues related to the role of business in society.

The research is funded by The Hitachi Foundation, a leading advocate for promoting the positive role companies can play in society, particularly in low-income communities.

The survey of 751 executives reveals that 79% attribute the public distrust of business to excessive CEO pay.

Of the executives participating to the on-line survey, 53% were CEOs, 34% held vice president positions, 10% were directors and 3% held other senior level positions.

The survey, conducted for Boston College by GlobeScan, is described as the only research of its kind that provides a comprehensive overview of small, medium and large-sized U.S. business.

The full results of third biennial survey will be released December 18.
In hopes that the survey’s findings will be fodder for discussion, this year a new element has been added to its release: the Corporate Citizen ’07 blog.

The blog’s founders hope that it will provide a large readership with a rich discussion of the future of business. They say that businesses of all sizes will find something relevant to their context. Likewise, students, consumers, policy makers, and grant makers will find plenty of content to kick around, chew on, dispute, discuss, and apply.

As contributor Doug Sabo – who is also a corporate responsibility blogger for his company, McAfee – said in one of his recent entries that one of the most powerful benefits of the blogosphere is the opportunity to create community – to interact, dialogue and connect with peers, both strangers and longtime acquaintances.

The collaborative blog will use the findings of the 2007 State of Corporate Citizenship survey to spark a conversation on its lessons, how those lessons might be applied in the "real" world, and grapple with the implications for businesses and communities.

Mark Popovich from The Hitachi Foundation wrote recently that while CSR was once viewed as an optional ‘add on’ it is now generally recognized as a necessity by business leaders across all firm sizes, sectors, and regions of the country in the U.S.

Despite that view, Mark previews the finding in this year’s report that real-world actions fall far short of business’ positive attitudes towards corporate citizenship by saying that "the gap between attitudes and action seems sure to be fodder for a spirited discussion."
Join the discussion at http://www.corporatecitizen07.com.