Management Papers

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of this Version

6-1-2015

Publication Source

American Sociological Review

Volume

80

Issue

3

Start Page

654

Last Page

678

DOI

10.1177/0003122415581335

Abstract

This project explores whether and how corporations become more receptive to social activist challenges over time. Drawing from social movement theory, we suggest a dynamic process through which contentious interactions lead to increased receptivity. We argue that when firms are chronically targeted by social activists, they respond defensively by adopting strategic management devices that help them better manage social issues and demonstrate their normative appropriateness. These defensive devices have the incidental effect of empowering independent monitors and increasing corporate accountability, which in turn increase a firm’s receptivity to future activist challenges. We test our theory using a unique longitudinal dataset that tracks contentious attacks and the adoption of social management devices among a population of 300 large firms from 1993 to 2009.

Copyright/Permission Statement

Mary-Hunter McDonnell, Brayden G. King & Sarah A. Soule, "A Dynamic Process Model of Private Politics: Activist Targeting and Corporate Receptivity to Social Challenges", American Sociological Review, 80(3), pp. 654-678. Copyright © 2015 SAGE. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.

Keywords

social movements, organization theory, non-market strategy, corporate social responsibility

Share

COinS
 

Date Posted: 19 February 2018

This document has been peer reviewed.