Companies with Values: A Conceptual Model of Corporate Activism

Abstract

Corporate activism has been a highly relevant business management concept in recent years, developed without specific theories to understand its implications. This article proposes a conceptual model that can be applied to organizations and their stakeholders from backgrounds such as cognitive dissonance or corporate citizenship. The method relies on analyzing the background of corporate activism and related theories, suggesting stakeholders’ acceptance or rejection of corporate activism (MACO model) based on congruence with the value system, the typologies of activism, and the degree of controversy of various industries. The main contribution of this article is providing the theoretical foundations of corporate activism and its relationships through the MACO model. Its main limitation is the novelty of the topic, which requires resorting to other disciplines and makes the relationship between constructs more complex. This model opens up new approaches to the phenomenon and offers a basis for further empirical research.