Business Unusual: A case study of Patagonia’s use of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Activism to promote Environmentalism and Environmental Justice

Jones, Samuel (2025) Business Unusual: A case study of Patagonia’s use of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Activism to promote Environmentalism and Environmental Justice. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

The recent emergence of Corporate Activism within Corporate Social Responsibility debates has focused mainly on authenticity and brand reputation, which means that important research on the role of corporations in societal and environmental change through activism remains scarce. The aim of this research is to uncover mechanisms for how Corporate Activism can enhance the reputation of Corporate Social Responsibility programmes through a case study of Patagonia, the outdoor apparel brand that is headquartered in the U.S. This research used a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design approach and employed a mixture of ethnographic and case study qualitative methods through fieldwork in the U.S. and desk-based research in the UK. This research examined the motivations behind engaging in environmental activism from both the nonprofit organisation and corporate perspective. The key findings relate to the overall ease of the grant-making process, the relative autonomy of local stores in making key decisions related to environmental activism, and reciprocal relationship-building by staff at both organisational levels. The findings related to conceptualisations of trust-based and place-based philanthropy and outlines the role that Patagonia plays within the environmental movement in Utah. These findings make important contributions to the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Activism and offer recommendations for corporations attempting to authentically support grassroots activist organisations.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development)
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	07 Sep 2026 07:58
Last Modified:	07 Sep 2026 07:58
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104434
DOI:

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