2009 CSR Index
For the last two years the Boston College Center and Reputation Institute have created a ranking of the top 50 companies in the United States that the public distinguishes for corporate social responsibility.
In 2009, companies in the financial sector tumbled to the bottom of the Boston College-Reputation Institute 2009 CSR Index, while top consumer brands perceived to be strong in the area of ethics, citizenship and workplace practices dominated the top 50, with Disney and Microsoft at the top.
Released in October 2009, the index, based on a survey of consumers in the United States, shows the following companies in the top 10 positions:
- Walt Disney Company
- Microsoft
- Google
- Honda
- Johnson & Johnson
- PepsiCo.
- General Mills
- Kraft Foods
- Campbell Soup Company
- FedEx
Click here to see the full list.
The CSR Index is created using data collected for Reputation Institute’s 2009 Global Reputation Pulse Study. Researchers use a subset of survey results that focus on more than 200 companies with a dominant presence in the United States and believed to have a reasonably high recognition factor with the general public. The data capture public perception about a company’s corporate citizenship, governance and workplace practices in the United States.
“While the overall reputation of the American business sector has been tarnished with a broad brush, many individual companies still stand out as responsible leaders in the eyes of the public,” said Chris Pinney, director of research and policy at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. “To build a reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility, companies should focus on strong governance practices, positive working conditions, and a commitment to supporting the needs of communities and the environment.”
“A company’s reputation today goes beyond products, services and financial performance,” added Kasper Nielsen managing partner of Reputation Institute. “Organizations face increasingly higher expectations from the general public across the different aspects of their business.”
On a scale of 1-to-100, the top-ranked Walt Disney Company scored 79.52 followed by Microsoft at 78.66, Google at 77.03, Honda of America at 76.65 and Johnson & Johnson at 76.57. Consumer-oriented companies make up the majority of the top 50 CSRI performers. One of the biggest changes since the 2008 Index is the presence of seven value-conscious retailers on the list. In the 2009 CSR Index, Target, JC Penney, Kroger, Kohl’s and BJ’s Wholesale Club are new to the Top 50, joining Publix Super Markets, Costco Wholesale and Lowe’s, who made the list last year.
The research shows that the general public tends to rate makers of consumer products, computers and beverages higher along social dimensions. Industries that fall below the global average include banking, finance, oil and gas, utilities and telecommunications. Reputation Institute, which measures corporate reputation in more than 25 countries annually, notes that the U.S. public put a higher premium on ethics and governance practices.
Business executives are also recognizing the important role corporate social responsibility plays in the reputation of a company. In the Boston 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship in the U.S. , executives ranked reputation as a top driver behind their commitment to corporate citizenship. For more information about corporate reputation on a global scale, see Building Reputation Here, There and Everywhere, a joint report from the Boston College Center and Reputation Institute that examined public attitudes about companies in 27 countries.
About the CSRI and Global Reputation Pulse 2009 Study
The CSRI was created using data collected for Reputation Institute’s 2009 Global Reputation Pulse Study, which was conducted online between January and February of 2009. The CSR Index is a combined measure of the public’s perceptions of citizenship, governance and workplace practices obtained from a representative sample of at least 100 local respondents who were familiar with the company. Scores range from a low of 0 to a high of 100.
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