Corporate Social and Political Activism

Firms and their executives are increasingly taking a stand on socio-politically salient yet contentious issues such as racial equality, global warming, gun control, immigration, and LGBTQ rights. Yet, our scholarly understanding on the antecedents and consequences of this growing phenomenon of corporate activism remains relatively limited. The goal of this panel is to explore key research questions to be answered and future directions and opportunities for research on corporate activism. The panel includes scholars who are actively researching this topic and have made important contributions to our understanding of corporate activism. Panelists will share insights and engage with the audience on both the promise and potential pitfalls of studying this topic, as well as how a study of corporate activism can build not only from the nonmarket literatures on social movements, stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility, but also from related strategy literatures, such as resource-based theory.