Finding 1
stepped up efforts to mobilise other players by means of advocacy and networks . All of the above-mentioned companies and a few others are also increasingly striving to establish impact assessment . For those companies that were already members of the
DAX in 2017 , we therefore note a slight shift upwards in their ratings .
There has also been a degree of movement within the ‘ Committed ’ category . Some companies , such as Adidas , Daimler and Zalando , have an increased emphasis on supply chain and circularity issues that are important for their sustainable development . From our interviews , it appears that the reorientation of Corporate Citizenship is currently gaining momentum in some companies , in part fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic . Some companies have recently embarked on strategic processes to reframe their social engagement . Many other companies have taken action since 2017 . These are often characterised by an increased ( but mostly still partial ) focus on sustainability issues and the further professionalisation of management and governance . However , most of them have not yet made it into the next category up .
A direct comparison with 2017 shows that the ‘ Spontaneous ’ and ‘ Reactive ’ categories have even become somewhat more prevalent . The 15 DAX companies that have joined since 2017 are on average less strategically positioned than the companies that have been DAX-listed for longer . One possible explanation is that the high visibility that comes with DAX membership is accompanied by heightened expectations from various stakeholders , which leads companies to become more strategically committed over time . The effect of greater customer proximity with B2C companies or better-known brands may also play a role here . Overall , there is a broader spread than in the previous study . While one top group is developing its activities in a targeted manner , others are lagging behind . However , most DAX companies have not developed Corporate Citizenship into a lever for greater sustainability in recent years . The following extracts show details of the developments that have taken place in recent years .
Corporate Citizenship type of the 25 ‘ old ’ and the 15 ‘ new ’ DAX companies
70
60
50
Data in percent
40
30
20 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
Spontaneous |
Reactive |
Committed |
Strategic |
Integrated |
DAX25 ( 2021 ) DAX + 15 ( 2021 )
21