Consumer Influence on Corporate Social Responsibility Policies of Companies

As consumer action and conscious buying behavior has become increasingly widespread during the last few decades, companies have reacted to the consistent threat of customer action and changed their monitoring of public opinion and business strategies accordingly. This study therefore aims at answering the question which factors lead to a successful consumer boycott as a response to exploitative corporate behavior. In order to find an answer, a theoretical framework is developed, methodology and hypotheses derived and 100 successful and unsuccessful boycotts between 1955 and 2012 are examined. The findings are translated into a model showcasing the factors determining boycott success and are further used to propose a public government mechanism to address perceived exploitative corporate behavior before it comes to boycotts. Furthermore, concluding remarks and suggestions for future research are given.