When it comes to corporate philanthropy, the bottom line for
American companies is, well, the bottom line, while the British
thrive on the resulting sense of "doing good," according to a new
survey by BritishAmerican Business Inc., a transatlantic business
organization. The survey, conducted among a relatively small sample
of 300 U.S. and U.K. business leaders, found American business
leaders rank the bottom line as their top priority when engaging in
CSR activities. When asked what the main business benefit of being
a responsible corporate citizen is, Americans' top response was
"improving brand image," while a full third responded that the
biggest benefit was "increasing sales." The British, meanwhile,
listed sales in seventh place. Other findings of the survey,
conducted in conjunction with Peppercom:
Seventy percent of Americans believe the media has unduly blown
some corporate scandals out of proportion or unfairly damaged the
reputation of all public companies, while 59 percent of British
respondents felt the media created a place for debate on what
proper corporate governance should be. Perhaps the British will
feel differently if a few of their own companies are rocked by
scandal, as 60 percent of American leaders predict British
companies will be. (Sally Pigdon, +44 (0) 7801 287758)