Patacconi, Andrea, Shamshur, Anastasiya and Ulianiuk, Pavlo (2025) A broader corporate purpose? Evidence from UK public companies, 2000–2016. European Management Review (EMR). pp. 1-12. ISSN 1740-4754 (Print), 1740-4762 (Online) (doi:10.1111/emre.12706)

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Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which corporate leaders have discursively embraced the logic of stakeholder theory. Using textual analysis of chairperson and CEO letters to shareholders of public companies in the UK during the 2000–2016 period, we find that, over time, attention to shareholders declined and attention to customers, society and CSR increased. These shifts were more pronounced during the financial crisis. Chairpersons and CEOs also appear to exhibit different loci of attention. Our findings indicate that corporate purpose did become “broader” in recent years; however, despite this trend, attention to employees did not increase.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	attention to goals and stakeholders, corporate purpose, stakeholder theory
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5601 Accounting H Social Sciences > HG Finance
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > School of Accounting, Finance and Economics
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2025 15:42
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/49922

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