Expectations of good business behavior have become so strong that consumers are ready to actually take action to penalize companies viewed as irresponsible. A vast majority of professional investors view investments in community action and philanthropy not as a waste of money that could be returned to shareholders, but rather as an indicator of a corporate culture less likely to produce expensive missteps like financial fraud. An overwhelming majority of employees believe their own companies are socially responsible, while less than half believe that American companies overall are responsible.

These are some of the findings in the second annual Corporate Responsibility Survey sponsored by Aflac, leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. The study was fielded in the United States between July 25 and Aug. 11, 2016, by FleishmanHillard Research and Lightspeed GMI. For this survey, 1,400 respondents (100 corporate social responsibility executives, 100 investment professionals, and 1,200 American consumers aged 18 years and older) were asked about their thoughts regarding various aspects of corporate social responsibility.

"As millennials and Gen Zers are becoming larger players in the global economy, there is a lot of chatter about companies being held to higher standards for being socially responsible," said Aflac Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Catherine Blades. "We conducted this scientific survey because we wanted to dig deeper and measure why companies invest in programs that support environmental sustainability, minority recruitment, community support and similar goals – and what reputational impact such programs really have on today's consumers and investors.  The results were both surprising and encouraging."

Among the revelations:

• 75 percent of consumers are likely to take some negative action toward irresponsible companies – everything from social media postings to organizing boycotts. 

• A company that is seen as not responsible stands to lose as much as 39 percent of its potential customer base, and 1 in 4 consumers will tell their friends and family to avoid a company seen as not being responsible.

• 83 percent of professional investors are more inclined to invest in stock of a company well-known for its social responsibility, viewing such initiatives as an indicator of greater transparency and honesty in operations and financial reporting, resulting in lower risk.

• 79 percent of full- or part-time employed consumers believe their own employer is socially responsible, but only 41 percent believe all American companies are responsible.