Synergizing Corporate Activism Research: Building a Shared Understanding of an Evolving Phenomenon

In recent years, corporate activism has increasingly become an important avenue by which firms and their internal stakeholders are able to communicate their views on sociopolitical and environmental issues, often as a means to precipitate change within the organization and/or society at large. However, the term “corporate activism” is a contested one with no established consensus. By simply searching the term, one might come across examples of shareholders advocating for changes, CEOs speaking out on sociopolitical issues, advertising campaigns connected to controversial societal topics, or corporations signing petitions advocating a given sociopolitical position. In addition to presentations of current research in these areas, this symposium will include corporate activists as guests in the discussion to share their first-hand perspectives and insights. The purpose of this symposium is to (1) elucidate the different forms of corporate activism, (2) explore how this phenomenon is reshaping expectations of corporations and corporations’ expectations of themselves, (3) consider the impact of corporate activism on society, and (4) develop a future research agenda for this evolving literature. Firm Commitment or See if I Care? Examining Implications of Passive Majority on Shareholder Activism Presenter: Maria Goranova; U. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Presenter: Mark R. DesJardine; Penn State Smeal College of Business The Career Consequences of Employee Protest: Evidence from the NFL “Take a Knee