Performance of Corporate Political Activity and Corporate Reputation: New Perspectives from a Systematic Literature Review
摘要
Given the expansion of corporate political activity (CPA) as a strategy, it is essential to understand how companies have measured the results of these actions. Based on this, the following research question was formulated: What are the most used indicators to measure the performance of corporate political activity? The central objective of this study was to identify in the specialized literature the main performance indicators used to evaluate CPA. A systematic literature review (SLR) was developed on “corporate political activity” and its possible “performance indicators,” including works published between 1959 and 2021 and included in the Web of Science database, resulting in 110 studies. The main performance indicators used to evaluate CPA were financial. The SLR also identified the need for measurements in other areas, as it could examine how certain corporate political activity practices influence public perception of the corporate reputation, both positively and negatively. This may include analyses on how engagement in specific political issues affects consumer trust in the company, its public image, and its market position. By understanding these relationships, new perspectives may emerge on how companies can manage their political activity to protect and promote their corporate reputation. The adoption of two new strategic perspectives was proposed to evaluate CPA performance: (1) an internal control perspective and (2) a social perspective. In addition to proposing two new strategic perspectives, this study highlights the design of a research agenda.