Professor of Business Ethics Paul Dunn wrote a piece recently published in the Globe and Mail about the factors to consider when business leaders decide to comment on social issues.

He writes:

“Politicians around the world have condemned the recent wave of brutal attacks by Hamas against Israel. So too have business leaders. Antonio Neri, the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, called the attacks “unjustified and inexcusable.” Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s CEO, was “deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks,” and Satya Nadella, the chief executive of Microsoft, said he was “heartbroken by the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel and the escalating conflict.”

Previously, business leaders only expounded on economic matters that affected their companies’ finances. Now they are commenting on social, environmental and political issues.

Such is the way of the modern corporate landscape, and while some might criticize this practice, make no mistake: This trend is a good thing.

These business executives know that business is not divorced from society. Business and society have an interpenetrating relationship in which each influences and is influenced by the other. Businesses are corporate citizens operating within society and, as such, are obligated to comment on social issues.”

Continue reading the full article on the Globe and Mail website.