Walk the Talk? Investigating the Performative Effect of Corporate Sustainability Communication

Reppmann, M; Maibaum, F; Edinger-Schons, L; Foege, J N


Zusammenfassung

In contrast to the common notion that corporate sustainability communication (i.e., CS talk) primarily serves as a backward-looking description of CS activities, the formative perspective acknowledges its potential to trigger CS-related organizational change (i.e., CS walk). Based on this view, we develop and empirically test a nuanced theoretical framework suggesting that, although CS talk can evoke future CS walk, too much talk can have an adverse effect, inhibiting companies from walking their talk. Furthermore, we argue and show that the performative effect of CS talk gradually unfolds within companies, initiating symbolic CS walk before evolving into substantive CS walk.

Schlüsselwörter
corporate sustainability; corporate communication; organizational change



Publikationstyp
Forschungsartikel in Zeitschrift (Konferenz)

Begutachtet
Ja

Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht

Jahr
2024

Konferenz
Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management

Konferenzort
Chicago

Fachzeitschrift
Academy of Management Proceedings

Band
2024

Ausgabe
1

Sprache
Englisch

ISSN
0065-0668

DOI