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Americans Love Their IT Suppliers… And Forgive Their Accountants
The US computer industry continues to enjoy the best image of any of the country's business sectors, although most segments have seen an improvement in the last year, according to Gallup. The restaurant and grocery sector is second, while accounting, suffering last year from scandals and failures, has jumped back 14 points.
The three industries with the worst images, of those tested, are the oil and gas industry, healthcare, and the law. The airline industry and the federal government also have low ratings, albeit positive. Almost all of the 25 industry sectors tested this year achieved more positive ratings than they did in August 2002, and in many cases ratings are up on August 2001 as well.Americans are asked to rate their overall view of each of 25 industries as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. Criteria for the rating are not specified, meaning that the results measure a basic, "gut instinct" reaction on the part of respondents when they hear each business named. The table below displays the results of these ratings for the last three years. The numbers represent a net positive score derived by subtracting the percentage of Americans giving each business or industry a negative rating from the percentage giving that business or industry a positive rating.
Images of Industries and Business Sectors | | % Positive Minus % Negative | | | 2001 net positive | 2002 net positive | 2003 net positive | 2003 vs. 2002 | 2003 vs. 2001 | | | % | % | % | % | % | Computer industry
| 57
| 53
| 64
| 11
| 7 | Restaurant industry
| 54
| 53
| 58
| 5
| 4 | Grocery industry
| 44
| 42
| 51
| 9
| 7 | Retail industry
| 30
| 41
| 38
| –3
| 8 | Real estate industry
| 26
| 30
| 35
| 5
| 9 | Travel industry
| 37
| 25
| 34
| 9
| –3 | Automobile industry
| 19
| 27
| 33
| 6
| 14 | Farming and agriculture
| 44
| 35
| 32
| –3
| –12 | Banking
| 27
| 22
| 32
| 10
| 5 | Internet industry
| 17
| 22
| 31
| 9
| 14 | Publishing industry
| 29
| 18
| 31
| 13
| 2 | Accounting
| 39
| 0
| 31
| 31
| –8 | Education
| 18
| 11
| 21
| 10
| 3 | Sports industry
| 5
| 2
| 17
| 15
| 12 | Electric and gas utilities
| –16 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 30 | Television and radio industry
| 6
| 10
| 14
| 4
| 8 | Advertising and public relations industry
| 6
| –1
| 14
| 15
| 8 | Telephone industry
| 2
| –3
| 13
| 16
| 11 | | Movie industry | –8
| –1 | 11
| 12
| 19 | | The federal government * | | | 6 | -- | -- | Airline industry
| 7
| 1
| 6
| 5
| –1 | Pharmaceutical industry
| 1
| –10
| 5
| 15
| 4 | The legal field
| –16
| –17
| –2
| 15
| 14 | Healthcare industry
| –7
| –19
| –3
| 16
| 4 | Oil and gas industry
| –30
| –19
| –8
| 11
| 22 | * Not asked first two years. Accounting shows the biggest increase - it dipped from 39% positive to 0 last year and is back up to 31% positive in 2003, with memories of Enron and other scandals apparently fading. Other improvers are healthcare, telecoms, law, pharmaceuticals, advertising and public relations, and the sports industry, although many of these remain near the bottom of the image list in absolute terms.Only the retail industry, and farming and agriculture, have lost ground this year, each dropping 3 points. The very bad ratings given to a few sectors in 2001 have vanished - the oil and gas industry had a -30% rating, and the legal field and electric and gas utilities had -16% ratings two years ago.
Summary Table: Business and Industry Ratings | 2003 Aug 4-6
(sorted by "net positive")
| Total
positive | Neutral | Total negative | Net
positive | | | % | % | % | % | Computer industry
| 70
| 20
| 6
| 64 | Restaurant industry
| 66
| 25
| 8
| 58 | Grocery industry
| 63
| 24
| 12
| 51 | Retail industry
| 54 | 29 | 16
| 38 | Real estate industry
| 53
| 28
| 18
| 35 | Travel industry
| 49
| 33
| 15
| 34 | Automobile industry
| 52
| 27
| 19
| 33 | Farming and agriculture
| 52
| 27
| 20
| ? |
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