Should businesses take public stances on political and social issues? The public is split: 48% think businesses should, while 52% think they should not, according to a Gallup
poll
released this week.
The poll shows a divide, but the true divide here is between Democrats and everyone else. The poll found that 75% of Democrats think businesses should take public stances on political and social issues. Meanwhile, just 40% of independents and 18% of Republicans felt the same way. When businesses that do speak out on social issues tend to lean left, it’s no wonder why.
TOM COTTON SHOWS REPUBLICANS THE WAY ON WOKE CORPORATIONS
No matter what the polling says, though, businesses should not wade into these issues. They should stick to providing good products and services to the public, not offering half-baked political takes. But the polling should tell companies all they need to know about this topic; taking political and social positions in public divides the people.
The primary goal of a business is to turn a profit. So what is the purpose of alienating potential customers by amplifying political stances? It will not change the minds of the people angered by the ads. They may instead choose to get a similar product or service elsewhere.
This hasn’t stopped businesses from getting political, though. In recent years, major companies have supported
abortion
,
transgenderism
,
the Black Lives Matter movement
, and more. These are controversial topics that may have supporters in liberal boardrooms, but they also have opponents in all 50 states.
Many corporations have also fallen prey to the latest woke fad: environmental, social, and corporate governance. ESG madness
results
in corporations supporting left-wing social policy as a form of virtue signaling. It can also serve as a cover to distract the public from the ills a company is committing. Notably, FTX got high marks from World Economic Forum on this topic before its
recent implosion
.
This trend is hurting consumers. It causes companies not to hire the best people or to put the best materials in their products. If a company prioritizes diversity over hiring the best people available to do the job, that will hurt the quality of its product. It may even encourage an American company to purchase Russian oil instead of American oil
because of some wokeness ratings
.
Leaders at companies have no obligation to surrender to this woke nonsense. Instead, they should ensure that their companies are profitable and have the brightest personnel available to offer the best to consumers.
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Tom Joyce (
@TomJoyceSports
) is a political reporter for the New Boston Post in Massachusetts.