Corporations and social responsibility: NGOs in the ascendancy

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to focus on the engagements and interactions – both conflictive and collaborative – that exist between corporations and NGOs. It documents the variegated ways that NGOs target small, medium, and large firms through anti‐corporate campaigns, boycotts, demonstrations, protests, and other advocacy initiatives. It aims to explore the emerging pattern of crosscutting alliances and partnerships between corporations and NGOs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a literature review that covers a number of commentaries, essays, reports, scholarly articles, media sources, and textbooks, through which a number of keywords such as activists, corporate, corporations, crisis, diplomacy, NGO, strategic, strategies, and tactics were typed into specialized search engines to identify and select the most pertinent and robust writings on the subject.

Findings

The findings suggest that NGOs have come to realize that anti‐corporate demonstrations, organized boycotts, and protests can be far more effective and powerful than anti‐government campaigns, particularly when targeting established, reputable global brands. In response, corporations have attempted to identify and select the available areas and opportunities to cooperate with NGOs in order to cement fruitful and self‐reinforcing relationships.

Research limitations/implications

Evidently, to build their images and reputations, corporations are deeply interested in establishing dialogues and relationships with activists, NGOs, and their competitors, and also trying to gain support from agencies and individuals who can speak out favorably: particularly to consumers, politicians, regulators, and the media.

Originality/value

This paper can help activists, business executives, leaders, managers, NGOs, scholars, and students to better understand the evolution, nature, and scope of these complex interactions.

Citation

Burgos, S. (2013), "Corporations and social responsibility: NGOs in the ascendancy", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 21-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661311301756