IBS Lunchtime Research Seminar - Caught in the Crosshairs: Corporate–NGO Partnerships under Autocratic Attack

You are cordially invited to attend an International Business and Strategy Departmental Research Meeting, during which there will be a presentation by Aline Gatignon (HEC Paris). A reminder that attendance for IBS (full time, research oriented) staff and full-time students is compulsory, and where possible, must be in person. Individuals unable to attend in person, due to legitimate reasons will be provided a Teams link on request. Non-IBS staff are welcome to attend. If you have not received the email invite please email Angie Clark

Please join us in Room 108, Henley Business School.

Please make sure you let me know in advance if you intend to attend in person so that the correct amount of catering is booked.

Date: Wednesday 27th May 2026, HBS Room 108

Time: 13.00 - 14.30

Abstract:

Autocratic governments often target civil society during early stages of democratic erosion. Although corporate partnerships can provide targeted NGOs with significant support, we know little about howfirms respond when associating with NGOs becomes politically risky. We address this question byexamining how public attacks on NGOs by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro affected corporate–NGO partnerships from 2019 to 2022. Using a dyadic panel of 867 listed firms and 819,550 NGOs, weestimate staggered difference-in-differences models around public attacks identified from media coverageof Bolsonaro’s speeches and his social media posts. On average, attacks reduce the likelihood of firm–NGO partnerships. However, this average effect masks two sharply different dynamics: partnershipsdecline following indirect attacks but increase following direct attacks calling out NGOs by name.Exploratory mechanism analyses suggest that these divergent responses are driven less by broad sortingacross firm types than by an attention-based salience mechanism, but one whose effects depend onwhether attacked NGOs are legitimate, relationally embedded, and publicly defended. Together, thefindings show how democratic erosion reshapes firms’ nonmarket partner selection and identify conditions under which business can either amplify or buffer attacks on civil society.