'Digital Futures'

Are dot.coms really more likely to care?

• 8 in 10 Directors at dot.com companies think that e-commerce will bring about positive improvements for society overall ¹.
• In parallel with this, the majority of dot.coms believe that they are more likely to care about social and environmental issues than traditional companies - yet in reality three-quarters have no social responsibility policies or systems in place at all ¹ (in comparison, 61% of SMEs involved in activities in their local community ²).
• Directors at traditional companies are very much sceptical of dot.coms, with 8 in 10 disagreeing that dot.coms are more likely to care.
• Fewer dot.coms than SMEs believe social and environmental issues will become more important in the future (around half of dot.coms feel social and environmental issues will be more important in the future ¹, whilst among SMEs the figure is over three-quarters ²).

Is e-commerce an enabler for more responsible behaviour?

• Each audience holds different opinions.
• Captains are 2:1 against the idea that e-commerce will enable business to be more responsive to social and environmental concerns.
• Yet dot.coms are much more bullish, being 3:1 for the idea ¹.
• The general public is polarised (16% agree, 26% disagree).

Will e-commerce lead to social exclusion?

• 4:1, the public feel it will.
• Captains and dot.coms agree with each other, but opinions within both groups are polarised.
• 13 Million people in GB currently have access to the internet. ³
• 15 million say they never intend to have access (16% of whom are under 35) ⁴.
• Half of the population (48%) feel they are getting left behind by technology ⁵.

The positive impact of e-commerce

• Captains and dot.coms are very optimistic that the positive impact will outweigh the negative (79% dot.coms, 88% of Captains).
• The public are yet to make up their mind about the impact of e-commerce on society.

Notes:

1. 'Dot-Com Ethics: e-Business and Social Responsibility' Forum for the Future, October 2000.
2. 'SMEs' attitudes to social responsibility' - Business in the Community's 'Business Impact Taskforce'/MORI. July 2000.
3. MORI Technology Tracker, November 2000.
4. 'Can't Surf, Won't Surf - the Digital Divide' Which? Online/MORI. May 2000.
5. 'The British and Technology' Motorola/MORI. January 2000.