In an environment of socio-political uncertainty, US business leaders are reassuring anxious employees through messages of empathy and solidarity.
“Tolerance is for cowards. Being tolerant requires nothing from you but to be quiet and to not make waves, holding tightly to your views and judgments, without being challenged. Do not tolerate each other. Work hard, move into uncomfortable territory, and understand each other.” In an email to his team in October, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson had addressed the uncomfortable issue of racial tension, which has heightened over the last couple of years in several pockets of America, taking cognisance of #BlackLivesMatter, a movement started in 2013 after police shootings of unarmed African-American men.
This wasn’t about just jumping on a Twitter trend.
Stephenson is one of several business leaders to go beyond the traditional messages of profitability, revenue targets and mergers & acquisitions in group addresses in recent times.
Top-down social messaging in an uncertain climate is becoming a norm to reassure anxious employees who are anticipating negative changes in their socio-cultural environment. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the US, which while grappling with racial strife, now copes with a divided political climate.
In the few days since the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, was voted the next president of the country, several heads of companies have shown little reticence in acknowledging employee fear and insecurity triggered by the campaign rhetoric of America’s president-elect.
The other factor, of course, is that these are all global companies, catering to diverse markets, with employees—particular in the tech verticals—from varying backgrounds. Beyond humaneness, there is also commerce to be considered. Little wonder that empathy was the running theme, in the days after.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
