New Survey from The Hitachi Foundation, Boston College Explores Corporate Citizenship in a Recession
The recession has not spelled the end for corporate citizenship, but it has forced corporations to rethink—both good and bad—their approach. That's the bottom-line from Weathering the Storm: The State of Corporate Citizenship 2009.
The survey, a joint project of The Hitachi Foundation and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, is the only one of its kind to look at the attitudes and behaviors of large, medium, and small businesses. The findings reveal that large companies are responding to the recession much differently than small companies. For example, large companies significantly increased their investments and involvement in citizenship activities—but they were also more likely to lay people off. Small firms kept true to their emphasis on treating employees well by minimizing layoffs. But they significantly decreased attention to other aspects of citizenship, such as volunteering or philanthropy.
And one of the most interesting findings relates directly to this country's ability to help low-income individuals participate in the coming economic recovery. Half of the businesses are supporting skill development for employees making less than $40,000 annually. These businesses report that they directly connect these efforts to boosting productivity.
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