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The Geography of NGO Activism against Multinational Corporations

Author

Listed:
  • Sophie Hatte

    (UNIL - Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne)

  • Pamina Koenig

    (PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CREAM - Centre de Recherche en Economie Appliquée à la Mondialisation - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université)

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regularly denounce the behavior of multinational corporations throughout the world, however their motivations for choosing the targets of their campaigns remain largely unknown. Using a new and rich dataset listing activists' campaigns towards multinational firms, we reveal important regularities in the geography and internationalization of advocacy NGOs activity. For example, 49\% of US NGOs select a foreign target firm, however, 75\% of campaigns targeting foreign firms involve an action taking place in the country of the NGO. We build on these facts to analyze the country-level determinants of NGOs campaigns, and estimate a triadic gravity equation for campaigns, involving the NGO, firm and action countries. Our variables of interest are the bilateral links between the country pairs, measuring how well the audience of the NGO identifies to the target of the campaign. Our results reveal a campaigning bias towards home firms and firms originating from familiar countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Sophie Hatte & Pamina Koenig, 2017. "The Geography of NGO Activism against Multinational Corporations," PSE Working Papers halshs-01518148, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:psewpa:halshs-01518148
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01518148
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    Cited by:

    1. Pamina Koenig, 2017. "Notes on Sigwatch's NGO campaign database," PSE Working Papers halshs-01671758, HAL.
    2. Gani ALDASHEV & Cecilia NAVARRA, 2018. "Development Ngos: Basic Facts," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 125-155, March.
    3. Olivier Beaumais & Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, 2020. "Informal versus Formal Corporate Social Responsibility: a Tale of Hidden Green Attitude," Working Papers halshs-03073242, HAL.
    4. Pamina Koenig & Sandra Poncet, 2018. "Activism and Trade," Working Papers halshs-01959943, HAL.
    5. Koenig, Pamina & Poncet, Sandra, 2019. "Social responsibility scandals and trade," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    6. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:125-155 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Herkenhoff, Philipp & Krautheim, Sebastian, 2022. "The international organization of production in the regulatory void," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).

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    Keywords

    gravity equation; multinational firms; NGOs campaigns; microeconomy of globalization;
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