“Why Should We Care about Marriage Equality?”: Political Advocacy as a Part of Corporate Responsibility

Journal of Business Ethics · 2016 · Volume 138 · Issue 2

Abstract

More and more companies are publicly taking a stand on social and political issues such as gay marriage legislation. This paper argues that this type of engagement, which can be called “corporate political advocacy,” raises newconceptualandnormativechallenges especially for theories of corporate responsibility. Furthermore, it posespracticalchallenges for managers who are confronted with it. This paper addresses all three challenges: first, it defines and conceptualizes corporate political advocacy and distinguishes it from other forms of corporate political involvement. Second, it makes normative sense of corporate advocacy as an element of corporate responsibility. Third, it reflects on the practical implications for managers dealing with this issue.

Keywords

Corporate political advocacy, Corporate responsibility, Political CSR, Lobbying, Marriage equality, Corporate character

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