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	?

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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