Americans are becoming less willing to hear chief executives speak out on social and political issues, with support for corporate advocacy falling sharply since 2018, a Stanford University survey has found.
The nationwide poll of 2,800 people found that about 55% believe the leaders of large companies should take positions on public issues, down from 65% when the university last conducted the survey.
Those who do want executives to speak out increasingly favour comments linked directly to a company’s business, such as the environment, sustainability, clean air and water, and artificial intelligence.
CEOs face growing risks when taking public positions
David Larcker, a Stanford business professor and author of the report, said the findings reflected growing fatigue with politics entering every part of daily life.
“How much lecturing can people take?” he said. “‘I don’t want to hear it’ is how many people feel now.”
The shift may offer relief to executives who have found themselves pulled into America’s culture wars. More than 60% of those surveyed said they had previously reduced or stopped buying a company’s products because they disagreed with its position — twice the proportion recorded in 2018.
Companies including Target and Anheuser-Busch have faced consumer boycotts linked to social positions. Even businesses that do not intend to make a political statement can become embroiled in controversy; Cracker Barrel’s rebranding last year triggered an online backlash despite containing nothing overtly political.
However, remaining silent also carries risks as public concern grows over climate change, artificial intelligence and war. Gen Z is the group most supportive of corporate leaders taking positions, with 70% wanting CEOs to comment on social, political and environmental debates.
Even among younger respondents, there is a particular appetite for views connected to the running of a business. “The world is in turmoil now, and [Gen Z] wants to know how CEOs view these things,” Larcker said.
The survey’s message for executives is that public intervention requires careful judgement: they need to understand their audience, stay close to their business and recognise when it is better to stop talking.
