Temper or Tempered? The Double Edged Sword of Social Movement Anger, Motivation, and Mobilization

• In Event: 477 - Section on Consumers and Consumption: Consumers, Social Movements, and New Market Relations

Abstract

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of embracing social movements and often seek to market their products to socially-conscious consumers, with issues spanning environmental sustainability to human rights protections. As a result, these organizations are attracting and hiring employees that are sympathetic to social movements, who could potentially serve as movement allies and powerful catalysts for social change. We seek to advance our understanding about how such “insider” movement bystanders –those who are sympathetic to the movement and primary stakeholders of the movement target --may differ from traditionally examined social movement members. Specifically, we argue that the very same emotion – anger at the target for social change– may mobilize collective action among traditionally examined social movement members (outsiders and sympathetic customers), but immobilize insider employees who are sympathetic to the cause. A field survey with contemporary social movement insiders and outsiders shows that their anger predicts greater social movement participation intentions of outsiders, but lower social movement participation intentions among sympathetic insiders. Furthermore, in an experiment conducted with actual insiders, we show that anger at the target of the social movement reduced their intentions to participate in the movement, and that this effect is explained by their heightened awareness of the negative consequences of advocating for a social movement at work. This research advances scholarship on social movements, consumer movements and markets by introducing and exploring the idea of bystanders’ stakeholder position relative to the target of the social movement, which can dramatically shape their emotional experience and intentions to participate in the social movement.

Authors

• Katherine DeCelles

• Scott Sonenshein, Rice University

• Brayden G. King, Northwestern University