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Topic: Corporate Support: Good or Bad?
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Obviously corporate support is good for us as members of the community which they're supporting, but is it good for society? Do we really want to worry about what our products support?
I'm at the grocery store, and I need to pick up some multivitamins. Do I want to have to worry about whether my multivitamins support, for instance, abortion? At some point it just gets tiring to keep track of it all. Things like the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index are extremely helpful for us as informed consumers, but god is it annoying to have to consult it for every purchase.
But then there's the fact that it's not just public corporate support that's the issue (e.g. Oreo's recent Pride poster, Starbucks' public support of equal marriage, etc.) but also the way corporations treat their employees (e.g. Cracker Barrel's discriminatory practices against LGBT people, African Americans, and women). And you can't really eliminate that aspect of things since corporations will always have to decide which policies to put in place, which'll always draw partisanship between those who do and don't support said policies.
Maybe it's easier if we then just focus on the public support portion. Technically, if corporations are supposedly people, then corporations are also entitled to free speech/expression just as much as the next guy. And in that case sure, I think they should vocalize their support for societal causes. Just realize, said corporations, that I'll be making my purchasing decisions based on your decisions, as will the rest of the world.
And you, QA?
"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist
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Edit: winnersmw, Tue 10 Jul 12, 3:10AM
Post: #664612  , Tue 10 Jul 12, 3:06AM |
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I think it's perfectly fine if corporations voice support for things~ It raises awareness. If they don't want that to affect their customer base, then they could just stay out of politics I suppose. Public support sways corporations to stay in line, I'd think. They wouldn't keep doing something unethical or supporting something hateful if the public cried out against it.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference."
http://www.soulforce.org/resou...-homosexuality/
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Post: #664617 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 3:11AM |
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That is very true, a good point. But the public doesn't always support the things that they should. In which case corporations would be reinforcing terrible beliefs. For example:
A majority of America didn't support interracial marriage as recently as 1983. It would've been pretty bad for corporations to come out and support banning interracial couples from marriage.
"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist
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Post: #664619 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 3:17AM |
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Good point! I guess reflecting beliefs could go either way, then. That's something to ponder. Hopefully no one relies on corporations as their bastion of morality  I think people tend to draw their beliefs from their own experience and people/things they hold in high esteem. If walmart told me to start robbing people, I would hope I wouldn't listen haha
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference."
http://www.soulforce.org/resou...-homosexuality/
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Post: #664632 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 3:52AM |
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i honestly dont care what they support
consuming their product isnt gonna make me support their cause if i dont support it
Patience-Resiliance-Versatility-Spirit-Creativity-Cleverness-
Faith-Love-Perserverance-Hope
So,If you care to find me; look to the Western sky. As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly
don't let my supposed "confidence" fool you, I'm still just a scared little kid. that doesn't mean I won't keep fighting.
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Post: #664641 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 4:51AM |
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Let's definitely hope that people don't rely on corporations for their morality indeed, Autumn xD Especially considering that corporations are some of the most immoral things out there But it is possible that corporations supporting a certain belief would normalize the belief, even if the belief was... bad, for simplicity's sake.
@Lucas; Fair point well made xD
"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist
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Post: #664661 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 5:57AM |
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To Lucas, it makes you financially support them though. I have a long standing boycott on BestBuy and I steer everyone else away because it is an affront to me on my three most important levels.
As a gay man by funding some of the more vile anti-gay causes such as the Uganda bill, my money will never be put to genocide, especially of my own people. And by not cracking down or even speaking up against their employees being fired for their sexuality.
As a nerd by specifically hiring people who know little-to-nothing about technology and using them to push whatever doesn't sell. By offering ridiculously priced services for very basic things ($100 to hook up your microphone to your computer... take the only cable attached to it, plug it into the hole that has a picture of a microphone... SUCCESS!), how can you charge hundreds of dollars for a 1 step motion that takes under 3 seconds and only one hand...
And as a consumer by selling things at an average of 40% price increase on already big-ticket items. I have seen $419 laptops sold for $699, that is a little more than markup don't you think? And what does that price tag come with? No warranties and 30-days to return it with many questions asked a plenty of hassle.
So yes, it is a big deal shopping there.
A business like that should have been bankrupt ages ago. If any of you are ever tempted to shop there, please message me and I will help you, I am the best IT consultant in my area for a reason... I got a laptop that has a decent battery life, beautiful screen, full keyboard, never gets hot even while gaming and my laptop is sitting on an afghan, and can game so well it plays SWTOR on max settings with no lag. The price tag for that laptop? $380, had free shipping, came in 2 days, year warranty with no-questions asked. Not a deal you can really beat.
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Edit: atomuskus, Tue 10 Jul 12, 8:34AM
Post: #664682 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 8:34AM |
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It's kinda the same for corporate support as it is for a lot of things: it's good if it's good, and it's bad if it's bad.
I'll admit I don't make an active effort to find out what certain companies support or don't support, but I take notice of anything that I become aware of. There are some products I won't buy because of what it supports/how the company treats employees/how it's made.
There are a lot of places I won't shop for varying reasons. Some places treat their staff like something foul they just stood in, others fund causes that are questionable at best.
The fact is, though, I'm a student who lives away from my parents for most of the year and don't get much in the way of financial support. That means shopping in the reduced section of the supermarket no matter what company policies and the like that that food represents. While I can avoid the worst offenders, I can't afford to be too picky.
I'm a ratfish trying to practice doing back flips on your mattress.
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Post: #664693 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 11:03AM |
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It is good if it's good and bad if it's bad, but "good" and "bad" are subjective. Intolerance against gays is great if you're a homophobe.
"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist
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Edit: winnersmw, Wed 18 Jul 12, 5:23AM
Post: #664748 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 6:27PM |
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I think I was trying to make that observation in there somewhere... then again, I wrote that before I'd had my coffee, so I wasn't quite awake.
Meant to mention as well, that as far as normalising these causes go, I think it's an inevitable outcome, especially for those companies that support their causes in an outwardly public way. And unfortunately, I think that's likely to lead these issues in a generally more backwards direction. I could be wrong (probably am), but it seems like a likely outcome.
I'm a ratfish trying to practice doing back flips on your mattress.
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Post: #664774 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 8:54PM |
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Yeah, if many corporations support a specific cause then that cause is naturally going to become more mainstream and more "normalized" via exposure alone. Now, that's great for us when the cause is marriage equality and gay rights, but it's not so great when the cause being normalized is something we disagree with.
"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist
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Edit: winnersmw, Tue 10 Jul 12, 10:57PM
Post: #664808 , Tue 10 Jul 12, 10:57PM |
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