Nordstrom emails employees its stance on gay marriage

Nordstrom became another company whose leaders have informed employees of a strong stance on gay marriage. Should they have said anything?

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In July, Chick-fil-A took considerable heat based on anti-gay marriage statements from President Dan Cathy, heat that the company continues to feel even now. Reports of emails from CEOs warning of firings depending on who wins the November presidential election are becoming increasingly common.

Now, Nordstrom is taking its own gay marriage stand, the opposite of Chick-fil-A’s. The company’s president, Blake Nordstrom, announced in an email to employees the he and his executive brothers, Pete and Erik, “felt the time was right to come out in support of this civil rights issue.”

Given the passionate responses—negative and positive—to Chick-fil-A’s overt statement on a social issue, should Nordstrom have jumped into the fray as it did? Communication experts have mixed feelings about what this could mean for the company.

Risky business

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