A new Carol Cone ON PURPOSE survey conducted by The Harris Poll reveals shared priorities like mental health and workforce concerns amidst political divisions.
NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Following the 2024 presidential election, new research from Carol Cone ON PURPOSE (CCOP) conducted by The Harris Poll (1) highlights that Americans are looking to business for leadership on critical social issues under the incoming Trump administration. The survey reveals a divided yet hopeful public, with 46% calling for companies to play a more significant role addressing social issues.
Key Findings Underscore Public Expectations for Corporate Leadership
The national online survey of 2,092 American adults, conducted November 14–18, 2024, found that with the incoming Trump Administration, nearly half (46%) of Americans believe businesses should take a "larger role" in addressing social issues. Democrats (61%), Gen Z (58%), Hispanic (52%), and Black Americans (51%) are the most likely to support increased corporate involvement, with 33% of Republicans agreeing.
"Americans are clear: businesses should continue to operate with purpose and, in fact, do more in a time of political change," said Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE. "With the incoming new administration, there is widespread agreement that companies have a significant role to play on issues large and small, with a third saying companies should focus on issues outside of their business operations."
Divided Perspectives, Shared Priorities
Despite political divisions, Americans converge on shared priorities like health and issues that matter most to employees. The study, which accounted for respondents' age, income, education, political affiliation, region, and race/ethnicity, presented respondents with 23 distinct social issues drawn from various sources, including recent points of view shared by conservative leaders. Respondents were asked to exclude immigration and inflation from their prioritization of issues.
"In a time when political divisions dominate much of the public dialogue, it's encouraging to see Americans remain united on critical priorities like care for seniors and mental health support," said Charlie Spinale, Director at The Harris Poll. These findings underscore the universal importance of health and well-being as shared values that transcend partisan boundaries."
Party Affiliation Focus
Leading issues for Republicans included military and veteran support (39%), care for seniors (36%), and mental health support (29%). Key issues for Democrats: protecting women's rights (46%) and the environment (39%), as well as mental health support (33%). Core issues for Independents: care for seniors (30%), protecting women's rights (29%), and mental health support (28%).
Common Ground Amidst Polarization: Where Companies Can Focus
The foremost focus area for corporate involvement is supporting issues of importance to employees, with 83% of Americans agreeing that companies should prioritize their workforce's top concerns. Eighty-two percent believe corporations should tackle national and local challenges, suggesting a desire for businesses to think globally while acting locally. Issue areas include healthcare, jobs, affordable housing, local schools, and education in rural America, as well as communicating more about ethics, corporate responsibility efforts, and climate change. Notably, nearly three-quarters (74%) of Republicans said companies should only support issues relevant to their business operations, compared to 57% of Democrats.
Most Americans across the political spectrum think businesses should do more to communicate about their ethics and corporate responsibility efforts (71% Republicans, 88% Democrats, and 76% Independents).
Issue Insights
The research revealed unexpected alignments where companies can focus. To further understand the data, related social issues were combined into thematic areas to determine broader areas for public prioritization and corporate support.
Health and Wellbeing is universally important, with 72% of Americans ranking them as the top priority, and Democrats (76%) slightly leading Republicans (71%). Issues in this category include mental health support, hunger relief, curing and treating diseases, care for seniors, and healthy eating.
Family and Social Support ranks second, with 45% of respondents prioritizing support for fathers and families; access to childcare; or support for military, veterans, and vulnerable populations. Republicans (55%) lead this category compared to Democrats (37%).
Environment and Sustainability is a close third, with 42% of Americans prioritizing issues including protecting the environment, ocean cleanup and plastic reduction, green tech innovation, or sustainable energy investments. While 87% of Democrats support corporate climate initiatives, only 57% of Republicans feel the same. "This 30-point gap illustrates the delicate balance companies must strike in an increasingly divided nation," said Cone.
Education and Digital Literacy ranks fourth at 40%, encompassing access to quality education, digital safety for children, freedom of speech, and media literacy. Republicans (44%) led Democrats (35%) in this issue area.
A Call to Action for Corporations
"The path forward is clear: businesses must embrace their role in society, aligning their resources and influence to address universal priorities like health, issues that matter to employees, and environmental action," said Cone. "Success will depend on their ability to address broad-based concerns while authentically navigating issues that matter most to their constituents.
"Corporate responsibility is more important than ever, as government support will change significantly and, in some cases, disappear. Those that rise to this challenge, strategically directing their resources, influence, and expertise to uplift and empower their stakeholders, will be vanguards ushering in a new era of Purpose-driven commitments and impactful societal engagement."
(1) This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE from November 14-18, 2024, among 2,092 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].
About Carol Cone ON PURPOSE
Carol Cone ON PURPOSE is a pioneering social impact consultancy helping companies, brands, and nonprofit organizations harness and measure the power of purpose to advance their business growth, environmental outcomes, and societal impact. CCOP's proven approach meets clients at any point on their purpose journey to unlock opportunities to build reputation, inspire employees, exceed financial targets, and support the greater good. The consultancy is led by Carol Cone, regarded as one of the founders of the purpose movement in the early 1980s and has been internationally recognized for her work.
About Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible.
Media Contact
Carol Cone, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, 1 617-840-4789, [email protected], carolconeonpurpose.com
SOURCE Carol Cone ON PURPOSE
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