The social performance of enterprises

Each year, the Danish National Centre for Social Research (SFI) maps the social performance of enterprises, alternating between the perspectives of employees and those of enterprises. This year, SFI is taking the perspective of enterprises and is focusing in particular on enterprises' motives for social performance as well as the power of special interest groups to influence corporate behaviour.
Social performance of enterprises is still being influenced by the financial crisis. This is affecting recruitment of people with reduced ability to work, although the proportion of enterprises with employees on wage subsidies has generally increased. Enterprises still vacillate with regard to employing people with mental disorders. However, this uncertainty typically dissolves when enterprises have actually had employees with mental disorders.
The social performance of enterprises is particularly affected by economic conditions. However, requests from specific employee groups also have some impact. Parents of toddlers followed by older employees are the most successful in terms of influencing the management, while it is more difficult for potentially weaker groups such as people with mental disorders.
The study is based on data from interviews with managers of 2,040 enterprises. It has been commissioned and funded by the Ministry of Employment.