Category Journal Article

What makes a capitalist system authoritarian?

Our study provides a new conceptualisation of state capitalism that allows us to distinguish when state intervention is problematic from a liberal democratic standpoint and when it is not. Specifically, our study provides two important insights for policymakers, practitioners, and activists at a time when defending liberal democracy against authoritarianism has become a pressing issue, but when the desirability of a minimalist economic role of the state has lost its appeal.

‘Sorry, we screwed up’ – Managing investor reactions with sustainability legitimation strategies

Companies disclosing negative sustainability incidents often employ legitimation strategies to present mishaps in a favorable light. We found that symbolic legitimation, i.e., evasively explaining negative incidents, cannot counter divestments. Only substantial legitimation does, i.e., when a company reports on concrete measures and behavioral changes in morally charged situations.