| Firms do not want to have their reputations tarnished with labels such as "worst polluter" or "sweatshop" since these negative stigmas are often accompanied with significant financial repercussions. Due to these costs, social and environmental information about firm behavior is becoming an important tool for consumer groups, non-governmental organizations, politicians, and concerned citizens to draw attention to firm practices and create pressure for change. This dissertation looks at this phenomenon in two contexts: How U.S. firms respond to their state Toxic Release Inventory "pollution rankings" and how multinational firms in Indonesia respond to outside pressure to improve labor conditions. |
