FROM COVERT ACTION TO OVERT ACTIVISM:
The evolution of corporate sociopolitical involvement
In recent years we have seen a rise in firms taking overt and intentional sociopolitical actions. However, with its rise brings questions around whether this form of corporate action is new and where it fits within nonmarket strategy literature. This paper examines the overall emergence and growth of corporate sociopolitical involvement (CSPI), exploring the variance in its manifestations and how these actions differ from other forms of nonmarket strategy. Using a database of news articles on CSPI related to controversial issues over a 25-year period (1995-2020), I analyze the ways in which corporations are publicly involved and active in sociopolitical issues. Findings illuminate how companies address the pressure they feel from stakeholders to be more “responsible.” Additionally, findings provide greater understanding on the ways in which corporations exercise their power in relation to politics and to society at large.
