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Detailed 'Findings Other variables on which boycott participatiion can be examined in this study include political variables and attitudes toward business. Those who generally approved of how Reagan was handling his jab were slightly less likely to boycott companies (9.4 %) than ~ those : who disapproved of Reagan's efforts (14.6%). Differences among,politiral party preference were less marked, with Republicans (13.1, sligluly more ffluely to have boycorted'tlurn either Democrats (1D.S%) or Irrdependenus 0 2.5 This survev aflso~asked consumers for their views regarding business. The question asked whether people in big business and on Wall Stteet had become more or less greedy than years earlier. Four-out-of-five said they were more greedy at present than five years earlier. Only 5% said less greedy and. g% said there had been no change. 'Trhose mho said greed had increased had the average boycott rate. Those few who said greed had decrea.sed were less, lilrely to be bovcotters (83 %), while those who said things had not~ changedd were most likely to be boycotters (15.3%). BUSINESS WEEK SURVEY Among the more recent and most interesting surveys on attitudis and actions takea toward business was one sponsored by Business Week and conducted by l.ou, 1-iarms in May 1989: The survey asked a number of questions about business practices and consumer activiaes directed! at business. Among, these were one hypotheticall question on, actions as ways of protesting corporate activities and another on actions actually taken. Business Week asked the foldowung hypothetical questionc `7f you believerl' a corporation was doing something bad for society; wilich of these things do vouc think you would be wi111ng to dao to stop it?" Bvrson-Marstellrer

Detaileal Findings The following table gi'ves the responses.offered as part of the question and the percent of positive responses for ea,ch: Response Choices Percent * Boycott a company's products 76 Write to ~ head of company 56 Contribute money to opposing,group 21 Attend i protest rally 21 Picket company headquarters 14 Interfere wiith companv operations 6 Sabotage company operatiions 1 *.ldnti- to morc than 1100 due to multapGe responsea. Obviously there is a wide discrepancy between these numbers resulting from a hypothetical question and those we have already seen, that ask about past behavior. Ftesponses. to this question should probably be seen as indicating what American consumers believe would' be appropriate behavior given the situationi posed, rather than what they would actually do. To a cernaini extent these numbers reflect the difference betvveen behavior and, intention, which ini this case demonstrates a, large gap. The question does not take into account all of the complexities of a reaL situation. It presumes that the consumer is informed about the problem, that products for boycott can be identified, that they are sold where the consumer makes purchases, that alternative products are available or that he could easHy do lwitttout the product entirely, and, that the consumer would otherwise: purchase thepnoduct. Rather than giving any neal! indication of what people would actually do, the question tells us that there is general widespread approval for the idea of consumer boycotts. Similariy, the other items represent consumer approvali of these types of behaviors in general, rather than tendencies to act. The order in which the responses are displayed also suggests the presence of a convenience factor, those items with the : largest percentages are those which i generally requiree the least effort on the part of thezonsurner,. Burson-Marsteller