The corporate world is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on gun control legislation, with many CEOs feeling they've taken enough of a stand already. The recent mass shooting in Nashville has left America stunned and silent, as expected from corporate giants.
For decades, CEOs have used their influence to shape public policy, but when it comes to an issue like gun violence, the message is often unclear or inconsistent. Corporate leadership has long been vocal on gun control – nearly 150 major companies called for stricter regulations in 2019 and again this summer – but when push comes to shove, they remain quiet.
Even the most powerful CEOs are not immune to criticism. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who advises major CEOs, argues that his clients have done enough already. "They've taken a very strong stance," he said, "but they're not where the general public is on surveys... They want there to be social capital."
Sonnenfeld's frustration highlights the growing expectation that corporations will fill the gap left by politicians and civic leaders when it comes to advocating for change. But CEOs are still waiting for everyone else to join them in the fight against gun violence.
The common misconception that top executives hold significant sway over campaign contributions is also being challenged. Since the 2020 elections, much less of campaign money has come from big business. And while some companies have spoken out on issues like immigration reform and voting rights, many others remain silent.
The latest example of this is Tesla's recent sales report, which showed a modest increase in sales despite a series of price cuts on lower-priced vehicles. Despite this, the company still produced more cars than it delivered to customers in the first quarter. This raises questions about whether executives are being truthful when they claim strong demand for their products.
Sonnenfeld believes that CEOs understand the value of social capital as much as financial capital, but they need everyone else to join them in the fight against gun violence. "They're not there as hired hands of shareholders to fill the role of politicians and civic leaders... They want there to be public trust," he said.
Ultimately, it's time for corporations to deliver on their promise to be more than just vocal advocates – they need to take concrete action to address the issue at hand. Anything less is a failure of corporate leadership to live up to its potential as forceful change-makers in society.
For decades, CEOs have used their influence to shape public policy, but when it comes to an issue like gun violence, the message is often unclear or inconsistent. Corporate leadership has long been vocal on gun control – nearly 150 major companies called for stricter regulations in 2019 and again this summer – but when push comes to shove, they remain quiet.
Even the most powerful CEOs are not immune to criticism. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who advises major CEOs, argues that his clients have done enough already. "They've taken a very strong stance," he said, "but they're not where the general public is on surveys... They want there to be social capital."
Sonnenfeld's frustration highlights the growing expectation that corporations will fill the gap left by politicians and civic leaders when it comes to advocating for change. But CEOs are still waiting for everyone else to join them in the fight against gun violence.
The common misconception that top executives hold significant sway over campaign contributions is also being challenged. Since the 2020 elections, much less of campaign money has come from big business. And while some companies have spoken out on issues like immigration reform and voting rights, many others remain silent.
The latest example of this is Tesla's recent sales report, which showed a modest increase in sales despite a series of price cuts on lower-priced vehicles. Despite this, the company still produced more cars than it delivered to customers in the first quarter. This raises questions about whether executives are being truthful when they claim strong demand for their products.
Sonnenfeld believes that CEOs understand the value of social capital as much as financial capital, but they need everyone else to join them in the fight against gun violence. "They're not there as hired hands of shareholders to fill the role of politicians and civic leaders... They want there to be public trust," he said.
Ultimately, it's time for corporations to deliver on their promise to be more than just vocal advocates – they need to take concrete action to address the issue at hand. Anything less is a failure of corporate leadership to live up to its potential as forceful change-makers in society.
. They've got the money and the influence, but they're just not using it effectively. I mean, 150 companies calling for stricter regulations is a start, but where's the follow-through? It's like they're just checking off a box on their corporate social responsibility checklist 
.
. If they're really claiming strong demand for their cars, that means they need to deliver more than just numbers. They need to show some real commitment to making a difference. Anything less is just greenwashing 
.
. They want to build public trust, not just their shareholders' trust. And until they start taking concrete action on gun control, they're just going to be seen as hypocrites 
.
. We need to hold them accountable for their words and actions. The public deserves better 
.
, but when it comes to actual change, they're always MIA 
. I mean, we've seen them call for stricter gun laws before, but what's the point if they're just gonna sit back and do nothing? 
. And don't even get me started on the whole "social media post" vs actual action thing 
. I need to see some real change-making from these companies, not just a bunch of PR fluff 
.
I mean, they're making billions of dollars off our backs, it's time they use their power to make a real difference. Anything less is just a waste of resources 
. Like, I get that they've called for stricter regulations before, but when push comes to shove, they're always MIA 
.
. Newsflash: they're not politicians, they're businesspeople! They can't just magic up public trust overnight 
. It's time for them to step up their game and actually do something tangible to address gun violence 
.
. And don't even get me started on the whole "social capital" thing... what a load of nonsense 
. Anything less is just a bunch of empty words and PR spin 
.
. I mean, can't we expect a bit more from our corporate leaders? Don't they know that the value of their brand is tied to how much people trust them?
.
. Like, if they're really committed to making a difference, wouldn't they be more transparent about their numbers and sales? It feels like we're living in this world where everyone's just trying to save face 
.