Introduction

How can social movement oganizations (SMOs) positioned on the periphery of an industry change corporate behavior? Are the resulting changes in the market always intended, and thus aligned with the superordinate goals of the SMOs? These questions underlie this study. This chapter briefly examines existing research on social movements targeting companies, clarifying how it cannot address the two issues examined in this book owing to its implicit assumptions. Then, the chapter explains the methodology for examining these issues–a case analysis of the Japanese post-war footwear industry.