Shamed and able
Subtitle: how firms respond to information disclosure
By: Aaron K. Chatterji, Michael W. Toffel
Contributors: Toffel, Michael W.; Harvard Business School
Series: Working paper / Harvard Business School -- 08-025; Working paper (Harvard Business School) -- 08-025; Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative working paper -- no. 39
Publisher: Harvard Business School
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Boston]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 38
Subjects: Disclosure of information; Social responsibility of business
Description: We apply institutional theory to explain how firms respond to information disclosure. Considering the impact of institutional and technical forces, we hypothesize that information disclosure is particularly likely to spur responses from firms whose legitimacy is threatened (and thus are shamed) and face lowercost opportunities to respond (and thus are particularly able). Testing this by examining how firms respond when their environmental performance is disclosed by a social rating agency, we find empirical evidence that supports our hypotheses. We present implications for theory and public policy.
Notes: "October 2007"--Publisher's web site.

Also issued as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative working paper series.

Includes bibliographical references.