The Role of Ideological Radicalism and Resource Homogeneity in Social Movement Organization Campaigns against Corporations

Abstract

There is growing interest in the interactions among different sectors of civil society and the distinct organizational forms—both formal and informal—that occupy and transcend them. At the same time, the complementary nature of social movement theory and institutionalism is increasingly recognized by scholars seeking to understand these interactions, particularly the relational exchanges between social movements and organizations, including business corporations. In this study, we seek to contribute to this emergent literature by proposing a more complete theoretical and practical understanding of how the radicalism of social movement organizations influences the nature of the resource providers upon which they depend and, as a consequence, their overall strategy and tactics. Specifically, we draw on a survey of social movement organizations to explore the notion that ideological radicalism leads to more homogenous resource providers for SMOs in their campaigns against corporations, and that this, in turn, influences their selection of corporate targets and the tactics they use to influence these targets. We find evidence for our intuitions and describe how they may augment existing understanding of the strategies and continued existence of unconventional SMOs.