Selecting Issues To Sell Globally At Greenpeace International

Abstract

In this paper, I use Greenpeace International as a context to contribute to the attention-based view of the firm as a process- based theory of firm behavior. Building on 46 cases of issues discussed for international actions, I identify 4 patterns of issues leading to international action to develop a model that explains the link between issues, resources, and answers, and their effect on organizational moves. My model highlights the importance of resources and answers in the decision to take action on one issue, as well as the moderating effect of windows of opportunity in the time to action once an issue has been identified as important for the organization. If resources become available and several issues compete for attention, the specificity of the resources as well as the external windows of opportunities will influence the prioritization of issues, and by extension, the likelihood of an issue becoming the center of an international action at this point in time.