Corporate Sociopolitical Activism and Language Strategies for Mitigating Animosity in a Host Country
研究跨国公司在地缘政治争议中采取社会政治行动时，如何通过理性化（而非回避性）语言策略缓解东道国消费者的敌意，且快速回应能增强该效果。
Multinational corporations (MNCs) are increasingly engaging in corporate sociopolitical activism (CSA) on geopolitical disputes, which may elicit animosity among misaligned consumers in a host country. Building on signaling theory, the authors suggest MNCs use language strategies to mitigate consumer animosity. Across four experimental studies, the authors demonstrate that in the context of CSA, MNCs can use rationalized (vs. evasive) language to mitigate host-country consumer animosity, as consumers perceive MNCs to be more authentic. However, the mitigating effect of rationalized (vs. evasive) language is significant only when MNCs respond quickly. The framework and findings contribute to the literature on CSA and provide practical implications for corporations using language to manage CSA.