I’ve written a few times about the growing desire among employees for their employers to be politically active. Research from Rice University highlights how this is certainly the case with support for the Black Lives Matters movement, with prospective employees drawn to such businesses.

The researchers examined what happens to companies that openly declare their support for the Black community, especially after so-called race-related “mega-threats”, such as the death of George Floyd.

Corporate activism

The researchers conducted three studies, the first of which required participants to evaluate the Ben and Jerry’s business after they publicly supported the Black community during the protests. The participants consistently viewed this support as a sign that the company valued things like diversity and inclusion, which translated into a greater desire to work for them.

A second study involved a fictitious company that also responded to the events by pledging their support for either Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, or nothing at all. As before, there was both greater support and a willingness to work for organizations that supported Black Lives Matter.

A final study then examined how corporate support for diversity and inclusion affected the bottom line of the business. After analyzing data from Glassdoor, the researchers found that companies that do better on diversity and inclusion also reported higher revenue than those organizations where employees didn’t feel such support was present.

The researchers believe that their findings demonstrate the importance of not only supporting diversity and inclusion but publicly stating support for marginalized communities. It’s important that companies walk the walk as well as talk the talk, however.

“By investing in the well-being of their employees and employees’ communities, organizations can play a really important role in moving society closer to a world where everyone can thrive, tragic race-based incidents are few and far between, and the issues that make these statements necessary—including systemic violence, inequality, and lack of organizational support for marginalized employees—are no longer a reality,” the authors explain.

With public awareness of race and equality so much higher now, there is an expectation that organizations take a stance and are active on things such as climate change and social justice.

“It’s critical that organizations are authentic in their stances on societal issues and not just ‘talking the talk,’” the authors conclude. “People expect to see action—follow-through on commitments, investment in marginalized communities, and ongoing engagement.”