Corporate leaders are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on gun control legislation after recent mass shootings in the US. The CEOs who had previously taken a strong stance on the issue, including those from major corporations like Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart, have remained silent since the latest incident in Nashville.
According to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, these corporate leaders are waiting for other groups, such as civil society organizations and student activists, to join them in advocating for gun control. "They've joined causes with valor and nobility," Sonnenfeld said, "but they can't just be taking cause after cause as if there's nobody else in society."
Sonnenfeld argues that CEOs are not just leaders of shareholders but also want to contribute to the greater good by fostering social capital. However, they need other groups to support them on this front. This sentiment is reflected in Sonnenfeld's frustration: "We're ready for others to now do something. Enough already on saying 'what are the CEOs doing?' Social capital is as valuable as financial capital."
The lack of corporate action on gun control has also been perpetuated by a misperception that CEOs have significant influence over campaign donations. In reality, according to Sonnenfeld, since 2020, there has been a decline in campaign contributions from big businesses. Since the January 6th US Capitol attack, many companies have either put an official moratorium on donating to politicians or given mere pennies.
Tesla's latest sales data also provides insight into the issue. Despite the company's price cuts and strong demand for its lower-priced vehicles, it has produced more cars than it has sold for four consecutive quarters. The difference may be due to a ramp-up in production at new factories and a lag between that increased production and sales.
The lack of corporate leadership on gun control is becoming increasingly frustrating for Sonnenfeld. As he put it, "They're frustrated." It remains to be seen whether other groups will join forces with CEOs to push for meaningful change on this critical issue.
According to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, these corporate leaders are waiting for other groups, such as civil society organizations and student activists, to join them in advocating for gun control. "They've joined causes with valor and nobility," Sonnenfeld said, "but they can't just be taking cause after cause as if there's nobody else in society."
Sonnenfeld argues that CEOs are not just leaders of shareholders but also want to contribute to the greater good by fostering social capital. However, they need other groups to support them on this front. This sentiment is reflected in Sonnenfeld's frustration: "We're ready for others to now do something. Enough already on saying 'what are the CEOs doing?' Social capital is as valuable as financial capital."
The lack of corporate action on gun control has also been perpetuated by a misperception that CEOs have significant influence over campaign donations. In reality, according to Sonnenfeld, since 2020, there has been a decline in campaign contributions from big businesses. Since the January 6th US Capitol attack, many companies have either put an official moratorium on donating to politicians or given mere pennies.
Tesla's latest sales data also provides insight into the issue. Despite the company's price cuts and strong demand for its lower-priced vehicles, it has produced more cars than it has sold for four consecutive quarters. The difference may be due to a ramp-up in production at new factories and a lag between that increased production and sales.
The lack of corporate leadership on gun control is becoming increasingly frustrating for Sonnenfeld. As he put it, "They're frustrated." It remains to be seen whether other groups will join forces with CEOs to push for meaningful change on this critical issue.
... but at the same time, I'm not sure if that's true? Maybe they're actually trying to create social capital by doing more research and stuff before making a move? 
But seriously, it would be awesome if corporations with massive influence could use their resources to drive change... or maybe not? 
The thing is, I don't really know what's going on behind the scenes... or do I? 
like wut is going on w/ these corporate leaders?? they've been super vocal about gun control in the past, but now it's like they're ghosting the whole thing 
... sonnenfeld's got a point tho, maybe they need some help from other groups to make a real difference 
... i mean, i love elon musk and all, but even tesla's not immune to the struggles of making cars faster than people can buy them lol 
u gotta feel 4 these corporate leaders tho 
it's like they expect everyone else to do all the work for them 
i mean, Sonnenfeld said they need social capital 2 be effective & that's fair 
but c'mon CEOs! take a stance already! 
. It's just frustrating when they don't seem to be using their influence for something as important as gun control.
. But at the same time, isn't it about time that corporations started taking responsibility for their actions and using their influence to drive real change? 
It's not like we're expecting them to solve the problem on their own, but a little bit of corporate leadership wouldn't go amiss, right? 
these mass shootings are just heartbreaking & I wish corporate leaders would step up & lead the charge 
especially with all the progress that's being made in other areas like renewable energy & social justice 
. And honestly, it feels like they're waiting for others to step up and take control of the conversation 
. I wish they'd just be more vocal about it instead of just kinda... doing nothing 
. The fact that some CEOs are making a difference on other issues is still cool, but we need 'em to show up for this one 
.
. Meanwhile, Tesla is just producing cars like they're going out of style 
. When will CEOs step up and show some valor? 
no action 
. If they're making more cars than they're selling, that means there's something fishy going on. Maybe they should use their production power to advocate for change instead of just churning out more products?