Finding 9 : Taking a political stance remains a rarity .
DAX companies are still reticent about expressing opinions on social issues – especially compared to their counterparts abroad .
“ How we deal with political issues is a big question for us . Some people get their fingers burnt – and maybe some people ought to get their fingers burnt .”
Compared to other countries , companies based in Germany are still cautious about adopting a public stance on social issues . In the USA in particular , there now is a strong trend towards corporate activism , with companies becoming increasingly vocal in public debates . A good practice case from Germany is provided by Deutsche Telekom with its # gegenhassimnetz (= against online hatred ) campaign . Working as part of a broad coalition of partners from civil society and utilising a variety of formats such as videos and a podcast , the company takes a strong position on issues such as cyberbullying and hate speech .
According to a joint study conducted by Wider Sense and INFLUENCE | SG , more than half of Germans polled are in favour of companies taking a public stance on issues such as climate change , social justice and all forms of discrimination . 27 In contrast to the controversial and often non-transparent practice of lobbying , companies engaging in corporate activism can be perceived as playing a constructive role and as legitimate actors in the political debate .
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