In recent years, businesses have become increasingly politicized, refusing to serve politically disfavored groups and individuals, requiring activist training and expectations of employees, and adopting ideological positions unrelated to business operations. This phenomenon is enhanced by the underlying polarization of our societies, which have become increasingly divided regarding the political turn companies should take. The politicization of business also sharply divides scholars and the public, some of whom view it as a new, political, dimension of corporate responsibility, while others deem it as economically costly and antithetical to a liberal society.
This project proposes to assess the ethical, economic, and social theoretic implications of the politicization of business. Specifically, we will evaluate the various factors that drive it, its economic and social costs and benefits, and normative judgments of the phenomenon. These scholarly reflections should 1) provide important knowledge about the causes and consequences of politicization, 2) grant business leaders better insights into the particular ethical challenges and practical dangers of such practices, and 3) guide policymakers toward more ethically and economically sound policies to guide and adjudicate issues surrounding corporate political activism.
We will aim to develop practical tools to address pernicious forms of politicization. Tools may include frameworks for policy makers to combat political discrimination, the enlisting of voluntary pledges by businesses to commit to political toleration, and moral guidelines for assessing political engagement. This project will actively engage business leaders for the purpose of documenting their concerns and disseminating tools to address politicization, and it will provide novel pedagogical resources for MBA students to learn from business leaders directly. If successful, this project promises to enhance economic prosperity and political legitimacy.
