Abstract
There is More Than One Way to Persist: Organizational Identity as a Precursor to Social Impact Str
Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Vol.2026(1)
07/2026
DOI: 10.5465/AMPROC.2026.18220abstract
Abstract
Firms increasingly adopt social impact strategies, yet many struggle to sustain these commitments over time. While prior research explains adoption and diffusion, not much is known about why some firms persist while others disengage. We examine persistence in social impact strategies among Certified B Corporations (B Corps), which must repeatedly reaffirm their commitments through recertification. Drawing on organizational identity and framing perspectives, we argue that persistence depends on how social impact activities are combined into internally coherent systems. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on longitudinal data from 777 B Corps across 14 countries, we identify multiple, equifinal configurations associated with persistence and non-persistence. Persistent configurations consistently feature worker-focused practices as a core element, while other domains vary. Non-persistent configurations emphasize externally oriented practices without comparable internal substitutes. Our findings shift focus from adoption to persistence, demonstrating the value of configurational approaches for explaining sustained social impact strategies.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- There is More Than One Way to Persist: Organizational Identity as a Precursor to Social Impact Str
- Creators
- Habib Ashraful Islam - Wayne State UniversityMiranda J. Welbourne Eleazar
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Publication Details
- Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Vol.2026(1)
- DOI
- 10.5465/AMPROC.2026.18220abstract
- eISSN
- 2151-6561
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2026
- Academic Unit
- Management and Entrepreneurship ; Center for Social Science Innovation; Law Faculty
- Record Identifier
- 9985213680002771
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