Politics and Business

Woke Business: How Have Companies Changed Over The Last Few Decades?

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The world of business has changed a lot over the last few decades. As societies develop and normal people change their perspectives, it would be impossible for companies to ignore the progress that has been made. In some cases, this has made businesses seem more woke, though it can also have a much deeper impact on the way that customers and employees interact with the companies that they use. But how exactly have companies changed over the last few decades? Let’s find out.

Inclusivity

Racism, sexism, and a range of other forms of discrimination have long been a feature of businesses across the world. It used to be extremely hard for a lot of people to get the positions they wanted, but now you can find a woman-owned business on every street you visit, and this change has been seen across the board. While some companies do better than others with this, you can always fight for yourself if you feel like you’ve been discriminated against, and there are plenty of companies that offer legal support for those in this sort of position.

Inclusivity at work has gone beyond simply letting people have jobs. Making companies give their employees training that enables them to see the unconscious biases that they hold, making it much easier for everyone to enjoy the same treatment at work. Alongside this, it’s never been easier to report discrimination at work, giving people the chance to have their voice heard when they think something unfair has happened. Whether it’s simply thoughtlessness or genuine malice, no one should be able to treat you badly because of who you are, and most employers work hard to ensure that you are safe at work.

Environmental Care

Looking after the environment is crucial in the modern world, with loads of companies being responsible for dangerous pollution emissions and high resource usage. This is changing, though, with many companies working hard to improve the impact they have on the planet. This work can come in many forms, from lowering emissions and working to offset carbon, to supplying customers with recyclable packaging options. Most normal people care deeply about the planet, and this makes it well worth it for companies to walk this line. Of course, though, it’s important to make sure that companies are doing what they claim and not just making a show of nothing.

It can be hard to figure out how far businesses take their care for the environment. Some companies work much harder than others towards goals like this, but this doesn’t always mean that their efforts are genuine. In many cases, companies will plough time into making it look like they are doing good work, only to do very little that actually makes a difference. Large fuel companies are good examples of this, with many of them benefitting from people ignoring the fact that they do so much damage.

Humanizing Brands

Making a brand feel human is notoriously difficult. Most people look at large businesses as being very faceless, with the people who work for them being nothing more than employees. This is something that many companies are working hard to change in the modern world. For example, many companies work hard to engage with customers on social media. This will usually be done in a jokey or friendly manner, with social marketing professionals striving to make their followers feel like they are being spoken to by a real person. This can often be executed very poorly, leaving businesses to struggle to get the reception they want.

Politics & Activism

Staying out of politics can be a major element of running a business PR team, or at least it used to be. By working very carefully, large companies are often able to put themselves onto the side of their customers when they focus on the right social and political issues. For example, many companies showed strong support for the BLM Movement, even if their products and services had nothing to do with the cause. This was a relatively safe bet, as companies knew that just about everyone supported their cause, and this would make it more controversial to say nothing.

While this view may sound a little bit cynical, the motives behind this sort of work don’t have to invalidate the actions themselves. The BLM Movement itself gained more traction and attention as a result of businesses jumping aboard, and this means that the cause was able to benefit from it. This isn’t always the case, and some companies have shown that they aren’t as woke as others through the Covid-19 pandemic, especially those willing to force people to work in dangerous conditions.

As you can see, there are plenty of changes going on in the world of modern business. Many people are shocked to see just how much this market has changed over the last couple of decades, especially when they run a company for themselves. Whether you’re a customer, an employee, or a business owner, though, these changes are certainly going to impact you in some way along the line.

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