Corporate activism in B2B contexts: A typology and research agenda

Corporate activism (CA) refers to companies taking public stances on controversial sociopolitical issues. Existing research has primarily focused on consumer-facing (B2C) contexts, while activism in business-to-business (B2B) settings remains underexplored despite its increasing relevance. This study advances understanding of B2B CA through a three-stage research design. First, we conducted a systematic literature review and extracted six recurring themes: issue domains, forms of support, level of involvement, timing, temporal scope, and value chain orientations. Second, we analyzed real B2B CA cases to assess how these themes manifest empirically. Our findings reveal two unifying constructs: value chain orientation (upstream vs. downstream) and commitment tangibility (intangible vs. tangible) that synthesize the diversity of B2B CA practices. Third, based on these themes, we develop a typology of four archetypes: market-access activism, risk-shield activism, grounded activism, and market-normative activism. We conclude with a research agenda that outlines theoretical, contextual, and methodological priorities for advancing the emerging B2B CA field.