Ethical Criticism, Shaming and Blaming as Political Risk for MNEs: The Case of Coop Himmelb(l)au

Ethical criticism is a highly challenging issue, as companies are not only referred to as economic actors, but as responsible corporate citizens that have a stake in society. In this context, MNEs have to consider that actions are not only evaluated locally, but globally. Unethical behaviour can provoke civil opposition, going along with shaming and blaming. Social protests typically organize along human rights violation, cooperation with authoritarian regimes, compliance breaches and environmental damage (etc). In a newspaper article, we analyse the case of Coop Himmelb(l)au – an Austrian architectural office that came under serious pressure after planning an opera house on Crimea for a Russian foundation. Read our article (in German)