CHATTERJI AND TOFFEL
divisive issues can hurt sales, so why do it? Better to weigh in on
what traditionally have been seen as business issues, such as taxes
and trade, with technocratic arguments rather than moral appeals.
But the world has changed. Political partisanship and discourse
grow ever more extreme, and the gridlock in Washington, D.C.,
shows no sign of easing. Political and social upheaval has pro-
voked frustration and outrage, inspiring business leaders like Tim
Cook of Apple, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, and Marc Benioff of
Salesforce— among many others— to passionately advocate for a
range of causes. “Our jobs as CEOs now include driving what we
think is right,” Bank of America’s CEO, Brian Moynihan, told the Wa l l
Street Journal. “It’s not exactly political activism, but it is action on
issues beyond business.”
The world is taking notice. CEO activism has gotten lots of
media attention lately, and public relations fi rms are now build-
ing entire practices around it. While this phenomenon has largely
How CEOs respond: three types of tactics
Traditional Nonconfrontational
Lobby behind the scenes
Contribute to campaigns
Communicate internally with employees
Do nothing
Activism Raising awareness
Issue a statement or tweet
Write an op- ed
Seek to spur public action via trade associations(^) Exerting economic infl uence
Relocate business activities
Pause business expansion
Fund political and activist groups