How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment

Stewart Clegg; Miguel Pina e Cunha; Arménio Rego

doi:10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002

How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment

Stewart Clegg, Miguel Pina e Cunha, Arménio Rego

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter discusses the emerging phenomenon of employee prosocial activism, which we define as the direct action of employees of an organization, in support of or in opposition to one side of a sociopolitically controversial issue, that leverages the organization’s purpose and/or values to effect positive change in terms of broad social interests. The phenomenon has not only been increasingly practised but also commented on positively by major publications, such as the Financial Times, positioning it as an important aspect of business today. Such positioning deploys organizational resources to organize action that exceeds an organization’s current practices and structures. We discuss those factors that are generative of such activist movements and detail the processes of employee activist action.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Organizing beyond organizations for the common good
Subtitle of host publication	confronting societal challenges through process studies
Editors	Joel Gehman, Paula Jarzabkowski, Ann Langley, Haridimos Tsoukas
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Chapter	2
Pages	25-49
Number of pages	25
ISBN (Print)	9780198956648
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002
Publication status	Published - 29 May 2025

Keywords

Activism
Employee prosocial activism
Organizational purpose
Organizational values
Societal values

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002

CEGE: Research Center in Management and Economics
Silva, M. (Full Professor), Sousa, R. (Full Professor), Alves, P. (Assistant Professor), Madsen, A. (Invited Assistant Professor), Lourenço, A. (Associate Professor), Carvalho, A. S. (Associate Professor), Andrade, A. (Assistant Professor), Silva, P. D. (Associate Professor), Vlačić, B. (Invited Assistant Professor), Martins, C. (Invited Assistant Professor), Gomes, C. (Auxiliary Researcher), Gevrek, Z. E. (Invited Assistant Professor), Oliveira, F. G. D. (Associate Professor), Faria, G. (Invited Associate Professor), Marreiros, H. (Scholarship holder), Pinho, J. (Invited Assistant Professor), Machado, J. (Associate Professor), Araújo, J. (Auxiliary Researcher), Pinto, J. (Assistant Professor), Rego, A. (Full Professor), Gaspar, J. M. (Auxiliary Researcher), Corbo, L. (Invited Assistant Professor), Costa, L. (Associate Professor), Fernandes, L. (Assistant Professor), Sottomayor, M. (Assistant Professor), Martins, N. (Full Professor), Hernández-Marrero, P. (Auxiliary Researcher), Gonçalves, R. (Associate Professor), Ribeiro, R. (PI), Coelho, S. L. (Assistant Teacher), Pereira, S. M. (Auxiliary Researcher), Silva, S. (Associate Professor), Rodrigues, V. (Associate Professor), Sotiros, D. G. (Auxiliary Researcher), Valverde, C. (Assistant Professor), Leitão, A. (Assistant Professor), Julião, J. (Assistant Professor), Tavares, M. (Assistant Professor), Lages, C. R. (Auxiliary Researcher), Elmashhara, M. G. (Auxiliary Researcher) & Teymourifar, A. (Auxiliary Researcher)
1/01/20 → 31/12/25
Project: Other

Cite this

Clegg, S., Cunha, M. P. E., & Rego, A. (2025). How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment. In J. Gehman, P. Jarzabkowski, A. Langley, & H. Tsoukas (Eds.), Organizing beyond organizations for the common good: confronting societal challenges through process studies (pp. 25-49). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002

Clegg, Stewart ; Cunha, Miguel Pina e ; Rego, Arménio. / How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment. Organizing beyond organizations for the common good: confronting societal challenges through process studies. editor / Joel Gehman ; Paula Jarzabkowski ; Ann Langley ; Haridimos Tsoukas. Oxford University Press, 2025. pp. 25-49

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Clegg, S, Cunha, MPE & Rego, A 2025, How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment. in J Gehman, P Jarzabkowski, A Langley & H Tsoukas (eds), Organizing beyond organizations for the common good: confronting societal challenges through process studies. Oxford University Press, pp. 25-49. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002

How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment. / Clegg, Stewart; Cunha, Miguel Pina e; Rego, Arménio.
Organizing beyond organizations for the common good: confronting societal challenges through process studies. ed. / Joel Gehman; Paula Jarzabkowski; Ann Langley; Haridimos Tsoukas. Oxford University Press, 2025. p. 25-49.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment

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AU - Cunha, Miguel Pina e

AU - Rego, Arménio

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N2 - This chapter discusses the emerging phenomenon of employee prosocial activism, which we define as the direct action of employees of an organization, in support of or in opposition to one side of a sociopolitically controversial issue, that leverages the organization’s purpose and/or values to effect positive change in terms of broad social interests. The phenomenon has not only been increasingly practised but also commented on positively by major publications, such as the Financial Times, positioning it as an important aspect of business today. Such positioning deploys organizational resources to organize action that exceeds an organization’s current practices and structures. We discuss those factors that are generative of such activist movements and detail the processes of employee activist action.

AB - This chapter discusses the emerging phenomenon of employee prosocial activism, which we define as the direct action of employees of an organization, in support of or in opposition to one side of a sociopolitically controversial issue, that leverages the organization’s purpose and/or values to effect positive change in terms of broad social interests. The phenomenon has not only been increasingly practised but also commented on positively by major publications, such as the Financial Times, positioning it as an important aspect of business today. Such positioning deploys organizational resources to organize action that exceeds an organization’s current practices and structures. We discuss those factors that are generative of such activist movements and detail the processes of employee activist action.

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KW - Organizational purpose

KW - Organizational values

KW - Societal values

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BT - Organizing beyond organizations for the common good

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PB - Oxford University Press

ER -

Clegg S, Cunha MPE, Rego A. How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment. In Gehman J, Jarzabkowski P, Langley A, Tsoukas H, editors, Organizing beyond organizations for the common good: confronting societal challenges through process studies. Oxford University Press. 2025. p. 25-49 doi: 10.1093/9780198956679.003.0002

How employee activists tackle societal issues by promoting organizational discourse-practice alignment

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Projects

CEGE: Research Center in Management and Economics

Cite this