Americans Expect Businesses to Address Global Challenges
Implications of APCO Insight Study Discussed at Harvard University
Washington, D.C. (December 4, 2006) – Americans have higher expectations for U.S. businesses to address global challenges than for the U.S. government, according to a study released today by APCO Insight®, the opinion research arm of APCO Worldwide, at a joint event with Harvard University’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative.
“This study highlights the significance of the convergence of business, government and the media, and the impact business diplomacy practices can have on corporations’ success,” said Bryan Dumont, senior vice president, APCO Insight.
Academic, business, government and student leaders came together today to discuss the findings and debate their implications for U.S.-based multinational corporations and for academic research and education. Speakers included: John G. Ruggie, director, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government, Kennedy School of Government, and special representative to the U.N. secretary-general on Business and Human Rights; Ben Heineman, senior fellow, Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government, and former general counsel and head of public affairs for GE; Ambassador Elizabeth Jones, executive vice president, APCO Worldwide, and former assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasia, U.S. Department of State; Dumont, former manager of the Global CEO Survey for the World Economic Forum and PriceWaterhouseCooper; and Jane Nelson, director, corporate social responsibility initiative, Kennedy School of Government, director, business leadership & strategy, International Business Leaders Forum, and a nonresident senior fellow, the Brookings Institution.”
According to the results of the survey, a greater percentage of Americans believe it should be a top priority for businesses to address everything from building democracy to protecting the environment than the percentage of Americans who believe it should be a top priority for government.
“The study shows despite the high expectations Americans have for businesses there is less confidence in business, compared to other institutions, to meet those expectations,” said Dumont. “Fewer than 10 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence that American businesses are helping to solve the challenges facing people in other countries.”
Forty percent of Americans believe that businesses should be spending more money than they are now to help solve global challenges facing people in other countries, while only 23 percent want business to be spending less.
“Additionally, Americans believe that the policies and practices of U.S. businesses are more likely to help America’s image abroad than the policies and practices of the U.S. government,” said Dumont. Sixty-five percent of those polled feel that contributions American businesses make to other societies can help improve America’s image abroad.
“What these results mean is that businesses cannot stand on the sidelines when it comes to these global issues,” said Jones. “But more importantly, the results suggest that regardless of the positive work companies are doing to face global challenges, there is obviously a lack of effective communication to the American public about the efforts these companies are making. How a company plans for and engages in political, environmental and social issues that impact its business can provide the critical difference between success and failure.”
APCO Worldwide’s Business Diplomacy Survey was conducted between January 31 and February 4, 2006. The survey was conducted by telephone among a random sample of 805 Americans 18 years or older. The sample was extracted using a Random Digit Dial (RDD) methodology which provides a random, representative sample of U.S. households. Among each randomly selected household, a random adult resident was selected to complete the survey. The sampling margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.5 percent.
About APCO Worldwide
About APCO Worldwide Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. APCO was named 2006 Agency of the Year by PR Week, 2006 and 2005 European Consultancy of the Year by Public Affairs News and 2004 Public Affairs Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. Clients include corporations, governments, industry associations and nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO includes among its clients seven of the top 10 companies on Fortune’s Global 500. Core services include corporate, investor and internal communication; crisis management; issue management; government relations; litigation communication; media relations; coalition building; opinion research; market entry; corporate responsibility and online communication. APCO is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.
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Megan Carpenter
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