Take Your Foot off My Mountain: The Impact of Mobilizing Marginal Stakeholders on Corporate Sustainability

This study explores a case of stakeholder mobilization and activism to cancel a mining project in the most important mining state in Brazil, Minas Gerais. It examines the “Tira o Pé da Minha Serra” (Take Your Foot off My Mountain) campaign, which aimed at suspending a mining license granted to a large mining company. Grounded on stakeholder theory and based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews, this study examines the extent to which stakeholder mobilization can bring about changes in corporate practices. The main findings suggest that much of the success of the campaign pertained to its influence on political and judicial decision-making rather than on its ability to influence corporate behavior. Notwithstanding, findings also speak to the importance of the usage of some tools capable of enhancing the attention and responsiveness of large corporations regarding their stakeholders’ demands.