Abstract
In a world driven by financial value, more firms are committing to sustainable goals. Although third-party certifications have become a key tool for these firms to communicate and legitimize their sustainability efforts, their actual evolution and impact remains poorly understood. To bridge this gap, this project proposes a novel perspective on certifications as evolving movements, and investigates the impact of such changes on firms. Empirically, we leverage the most comprehensive longitudinal dataset on Certified B Corporations to date. Theoretically, this project contributes to sustainable entrepreneurship literature by providing theoretical and practical insight on how sustainable entrepreneurs can optimally present themselves to stakeholders. It further advances organization theory by reframing certifications shifting movements which influence the consequences and strategic actions of firms.
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