Business professor says more companies to take strong stances

Ed McHugh is a Halifax business professor who says more businesses are moving toward corporate social responsibility.

CITYnews halifax \ Tyler Dunne

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More companies are taking a public stance on issues, and one Halifax professor believes it’s a step in the right direction. 

Following the backlash of the firing of CTV anchor Lisa LaFlamme, companies like Wendy’s and Dove have taken to social media to show their support against ageism.

Ed McHugh is a Halifax business professor who says more companies are moving toward what is called corporate social responsibility, so the trend is likely to continue.

“[It] means I have a responsibility to make money and employ people, but I have responsibilities to the earth and its people,” McHugh told CityNews.

And it’s something McHugh says his students are adamant about and something he believes customers will ask more of from companies.

“Like right now you’re seeing a lot of what is called the triple bottom line – the three Ps – profit, people and planet,” McHugh explained.

McHugh says it’s easy to knock companies by saying their only motive is profit, which may be the case for some, but a shift is happening, and he believes it’s here to stay.

But, he says, companies will never be able to escape criticism or being viewed as opportunistic.

“You’ve got to build a thick skin and then move forward knowing that no matter what you do, there’s always going to be critics in life; there are people who will disagree if oxygen is a good thing,” McHugh said.

“So you do your best to implement it, you review your plans, you test it out on some people, and then you move ahead.”

McHugh advises before any business moves forward with their view, they should conduct research with their customer base as it’s easy to get tunnel vision while sitting around the table.

“You have to get some outside input on your company,” McHugh said.

“Figure out who your customers are, ask them a few questions about it, and test it out with the people you’re trying to target with this message because they’ll give you the feedback you want, and you can tinker with it a bit.”