CR Update: What Stakeholders Really Think

1
CR Update What Stakeholders Really Think

• Jenny Dawkins, MORI
• IPR/Judge Institute Seminar
• 30 March 2004

2
Overview

• Corporate responsibility issues are increasingly
  viewed as important by stakeholders
• Communication of corporate responsibility is
  seen as important
• But corporate responsibility messages are
  currently not getting through

3

• Reputation Honesty Increasingly Important

Q What are the most important factors you take
into account when making a judgement about a
company? (Spontaneous)
54
48
30
29
14
9

Base c.100 Captains of Industry
4
Varied Stakeholder Expectations
"Industry and commerce do not pay enough
attention to their social responsibilities"
Agree
Disagree
70
9
General Public
Base All audiences 2003/2004
5
Responsibilities of Companies Government
Companies as well as the Government have a
responsibility to safeguard our environment and
our communities
Tend to disagree 1
All Agree 91 Disagree 1 Net agree 90
No opinion
Neither
Agree strongly
Tend to agree
Base 1,049 GB adults 16, February-March 2004
6
Responding to Social/ Environmental Concerns
Most companies listen to the public and respond
to public concerns on social and environmental
issues
No opinion 2
All Agree 32 Disagree 47 Net agree -15
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Tend to agree
Tend to disagree
Neither
Base 1,044 GB adults 16
7
Importance to Purchase Behaviour
Q When forming a decision about buying a product
or service from a particular company or
organisation, how important is it that it shows a
high degree of social responsibility?
Winter Change 2003/4 from 02/3
Important 79 3 Not important 17 -2 Net
62 5
CSR activists 92 7 86
Not at all important
Dont know
Not very important
Very important
Fairly important
Base 982 GB adults 16 July - August 2003
8
Communication of CSR
Q Which of these statements best describes your
view of the balance between programmes and
communications?
Dont know
Important to know - companies should spend
significant amounts to tell us
Not important to know, no money should be spent
on communications
All Important 86 Not important 8 Net
important 78
Companies should make an effort totell us but
should not spend significant amounts
Base 1,044 GB Adults 15 July - August 2003
9
Awareness of Involvement
Q Are you aware of any cases of particular
companies helping the community or society in any
way? Are you aware of any companies that are
particularly socially, environmentally or
ethically responsible?

Companies helping the community
Socially environmentally or ethically responsible
companies
Yes 37
Yes 30
Base 982 or 1,044 GB adults 16 July - August
2003
10
Impact of Increased Information on Purchase
If I had more information about companies
social, environmental and ethical behaviour this
would influence my decisions about what I buy
No opinion 1
Strongly disagree
Tend to disagree
Agree 74 Disagree 11
Strongly agree
Neither
Tend to agree
Base 1,044 GB adults 16 July - August 2003
11
Trust in Company vs NGO Information
Q Companies /campaigning organisations and
charities sometimes give out information about
what a company does or does not do to be
responsible to customers, employees, the society
and the environment. How far would you trust
this information from companies? How far would
you trust this information from campaigning
organisations and charities?
Company information
6
53
33
4
Base 1,044 GB adults 16. July - August 2003
12
Employees are Influential Advocates
When hearing about a companys contribution to
society and the environment, I would be more
likely to believe the word of someone who worked
for that company than a company brochure or
advert
Disagree strongly 1
All Agree 78 Disagree 5 Net agree 73
No opinion
Tend to disagree
Agree strongly
Neither
Tend to agree
Base 1,049 GB adults 16, February-March 2004
13
Employers Responsibility to Society/Environment
Q Thinking now about the organisation that you
work for, how important is it to you that your
own employer is responsible to society and the
environment?
Not all important 2
CSR All Activists Important 88 94 Not
important 9 5 Net important 79 89
No opinion 3
Not very important
Very important
Fairly important
Base 764 working GB adults 16, February-March
2004
14
Impact of Programmes on Employees
Q Which comes closest to your opinion of your
company as an employer?
I would be critical
I would speak highly of them
Base c. 2,000 employees across six companies,
March-May 2000
15
Importance of Communicating CSR
Q How important is the way a company communicates
its CSR actions to you personally when judging a
company?
Important
Not important
Editors
20
80
MPs
9
78
Base 120 MPs/85 UK Investors/37 Business
Financial Journalists/ 30
Editors, Summer 2002
16
Current Quality of Company Information
Q. How would you rate the quality of
companies information on environmental, social
and sustainability performance?
Poor
Good
Analysts
45
32
Investors
28
54
Journalists
63
20
Base All respondents (93 analysts, 50 investors,
30 journalists, 30 IRMs)
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Conclusions

• Tailor the content, style and channel of
  communications to the different expectations
  of stakeholders
• Consistent messages, aligned with company
  behaviour
• Do not under-estimate the power of internal
  communications

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Thank You

• jenny.dawkins_at_mori.com