Business in Society Report

What does good business look like in the age of AI? In this second annual Bentley-Gallup survey, we asked 5,458 people across America where they think businesses are having a positive impact – and where they are coming up short. Here is one of the key findings.

63% of Americans believe business has a positive impact on society, an increase from 55% in 2022

Which of the following best describes the impact businesses have on people's lives?

"An 8% increase in Americans’ belief in businesses’ positive impact on people’s lives is eye-opening. It’s especially noteworthy that this majority belief in the positive impact of business is true across age groups, ethnicities, genders and political party affiliations. "

Cynthia Clark
John W. Poduska Professor of Governance
Bentley University

"Not only do more people believe business has a positive effect in society, more people want — and demand — that it does. A brand that ignores this demand is at risk of damaging itself and losing precious brand equity."

Andy Aylesworth
Professor of Marketing
Bentley University

More Americans Believe Business Has a Positive Impact

But Americans are considerably less positive about the effect of businesses on the environment, according to a new paper based on the Bentley-Gallup survey findings.

Read the Paper