The recent wave of mass shootings in the US has left corporate America eerily silent on gun regulation. In contrast, CEOs have long been vocal advocates for gun control reform, but their silence now is deafening.
In fact, over 1,000 companies had pledged to voluntarily curtail operations in Russia in response to Moscow's war on Ukraine, while Dick's Sporting Goods stopped selling semi-automatic rifles at stores and Citigroup put new restrictions on gun sales by business customers after a mass shooting in Florida. Walmart also ended handgun ammunition sales.
However, the recent school shooting in Nashville has raised questions about whether CEOs will continue to speak out on the issue of gun control reform. Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has a direct line to major CEOs, says that top executives are feeling frustrated and disillusioned with their efforts so far. They feel like they're being expected to be saviors for every cause, but without others joining them.
Sonnenfeld believes that social capital is just as valuable as financial capital, and that CEOs understand the importance of public trust. However, he also notes that CEOs are not just hired hands for shareholders; they want to join a chorus of voices working towards change. But, they need others to do so too.
The issue has led some to wonder if CEOs have become complacent in their advocacy efforts. Sonnenfeld argues that this perception is far from the truth. In reality, CEOs are still active on issues like voting rights and immigration reform, but even they can't address every problem alone.
One potential explanation for the growing reliance on CEOs as advocates is the erosion of campaign contributions from big business since the 2020 elections. While it's true that some businesses may have reduced their donations to politicians, others continue to be major players in shaping policy.
The recent sales figures for Tesla also offer a glimpse into the challenges faced by corporate America in speaking out on social issues. Despite price cuts and strong demand claims from CEO Elon Musk, the company has struggled to meet production targets, suggesting that talk of demand may not always align with reality.
In fact, over 1,000 companies had pledged to voluntarily curtail operations in Russia in response to Moscow's war on Ukraine, while Dick's Sporting Goods stopped selling semi-automatic rifles at stores and Citigroup put new restrictions on gun sales by business customers after a mass shooting in Florida. Walmart also ended handgun ammunition sales.
However, the recent school shooting in Nashville has raised questions about whether CEOs will continue to speak out on the issue of gun control reform. Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has a direct line to major CEOs, says that top executives are feeling frustrated and disillusioned with their efforts so far. They feel like they're being expected to be saviors for every cause, but without others joining them.
Sonnenfeld believes that social capital is just as valuable as financial capital, and that CEOs understand the importance of public trust. However, he also notes that CEOs are not just hired hands for shareholders; they want to join a chorus of voices working towards change. But, they need others to do so too.
The issue has led some to wonder if CEOs have become complacent in their advocacy efforts. Sonnenfeld argues that this perception is far from the truth. In reality, CEOs are still active on issues like voting rights and immigration reform, but even they can't address every problem alone.
One potential explanation for the growing reliance on CEOs as advocates is the erosion of campaign contributions from big business since the 2020 elections. While it's true that some businesses may have reduced their donations to politicians, others continue to be major players in shaping policy.
The recent sales figures for Tesla also offer a glimpse into the challenges faced by corporate America in speaking out on social issues. Despite price cuts and strong demand claims from CEO Elon Musk, the company has struggled to meet production targets, suggesting that talk of demand may not always align with reality.
.. like, i get it, they're feeling frustrated & all, but shouldn't they be speaking up more? over 1k companies were all like "hey, we care about Ukraine" & made some major changes... so whats the diff w/ guns? 
also, sonnenfeld makes a point that social capital is just as valuable as financial capital, but i think its kinda funny how ppl are saying CEOs are complacent when they're still working on other issues. like, voting rights & immigration reform? thats not gonna change overnight 
.. and btw, tesla's sales figures are weird 
... maybe its time for them to put their money where their mouth is lol 
so like these big corporations r supposed 2 b all about gun control reform but now thats changed 2 b crickets 
they went from bein super vocal 2 being COMPLETELY silent 
its like they r not even trying anymore rn 
i mean wut happened 2 them? did they just lose interest in makin a diff? or maybe dey got tired of people expectin dem 2 solve every prob 4 everyone? 
. They're like, "Oh, we should totally support this cause!" And then they get attacked for being too outspoken or too silent... it's exhausting 
. But seriously, I think their silence on gun control reform is telling - they're not just worried about the optics of being seen as pro-gun; they're genuinely concerned about how to make a difference 
. And let's be real, if 1,000 companies can stop doing business with Russia over a war, but CEOs are still mum on guns, it feels like a PR stunt rather than actual action 
And hey, at least they're not just profiting off people while saying they want to make change 
.
. Meanwhile, US schools keep getting shot up 
.