Voluntary business initiatives can reduce public pressure for regulating firm behaviour abroad
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Date
2021
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Almost all regulatory policy stops at the national border. Thus, when conducting business abroad, the behaviour of firms is regulated by their host, not their home country. Yet, international institutions have issued (non-binding) codes of conduct on social/environmental aspects of firm behaviour, and various high-income countries discuss how to improve extraterritorial firm behaviour – with high political contestation over the appropriate mix of state intervention and corporate self-regulation. Exploiting a unique national referendum on this issue in Switzerland, we investigate how these interact from a public opinion standpoint. Based on a nationally representative survey experiment (N=1564), we find that while baseline support for state intervention is high (approx. 60%), corporate self-regulation decreases such support. However, only credible voluntary business initiatives lead to substantial reductions. Our results speak to a broad policy debate in European countries and the EU on how to ensure compliance of firms with human rights and environmental standards.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
28 (4)
Pages / Article No.
591 - 614
Publisher
Routledge
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Edition / version
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Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Corporate social responsibility; Environmental and Human Rights standards; Public opinion; Regulatory policy; Survey experiment; Voting behaviour
Organisational unit
03446 - Bernauer, Thomas / Bernauer, Thomas
02890 - Albert Einstein School of Public Policy / Albert Einstein School of Public Policy
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