The 2022 US midterm elections are just a few months away, and there are a number of hot topics for debate and on citizens’ minds: gun violence, the climate crisis, and the continued presence of COVID-19, to name a few -some of them At the same time, employees are looking for a new job more than in recent years – coined the Great Resignation – and consumers are more attentive to where they put their dollars. Both employees and consumers are paying more attention to corporate policies and practices when deciding where to work and what to buy. All of this raises questions of corporate governance for organizations, and they don’t know what to do next: What does this change mean for organizational leaders in terms of addressing social, especially political, issues? What are the best practices for companies considering taking a stand?
In this podcast from PRovoke Media, Rodell Mollineau and Ron Bonjean, co-founders and partners at ROKK Solutions, discuss the current political situation in the US and its implications for business and PR. After all, in many cases, it is no longer possible to avoid getting involved in the public political debate. The pressure from customers and employees is too strong. But on the other hand, not every conversation is one that a corporation needs to be a part of.
“This is no longer just about inflation and crime, which I think the Republicans would like this election to be,” Mollineau said. “It’s still about inflation, and it’s still about crime, but also about reproductive rights. It’s about the rule of law. There are many issues that will be on the minds of voters when they go to the polls in November.”
In June, a new CNBC|Momentive poll found that more than half of American workers say they support business leaders speaking out about politics. Women are more likely than men, younger workers are more likely than older workers, and most dramatically, blacks, Asians and Hispanics are more likely than whites to say they approve of leaders businesses that speak.
According to Bonjean, it’s important to come up with a plan now because stakeholders will demand it in November.
“There are more expectations from groups within a corporation, whether it’s employees, suppliers, customers, to play a more active role in what’s going on with society,” he said.
Mollineau agrees and says it’s just a matter of getting a company’s ducks in a row.
“Companies have the tools,” he said. “It’s just a matter of organizing them in the right way. And for that they need a process and a framework. these [political involvement] decisions cannot be made only at the management level, which is often where they are made. You need to discuss how these decisions affect different lines of business, how they affect internal and external stakeholders, how they affect the government affairs function.
Topics include:
0:00: Presentations
3:40: Who is winning House seats?
7:43: What a divided government means for business
12:23: Political issues to focus on
18:45: Wokeism: what it is, why it matters
23:03: The consequences of January 6
27:13: STAR: Social Threat Assessment and Response Service
10:55 p.m.: When to talk, when to sit
37:28: How to prepare for the coming change
