An integrative theoretical framework of strategic marketing solutions for resolving social dilemmas

Purpose This study aims to examine how marketing can help resolve firm-level social dilemmas. The authors synthesize insights from sociology, psychology, economics, political science, management and marketing to conceptualize firm-level marketing social dilemmas, organize marketing solution levers into an integrative taxonomy and develop a testable framework with antecedents, marketing solutions, boundary conditions, consequences and propositions. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a systematic review to identify core social-dilemma constructs and diagnostic attributes (e.g. observability, externality dispersion/reversibility, coordination/free-rider risk, short–long payoff gap). Building on this base, the authors propose an integrative taxonomy of marketing solutions − communication and norm activation, regulation, group-structure and governance and strategic marketing − and illustrate generalizability with four cases: climate change, pandemic, data privacy and DEI. The authors then develop an integrative framework and associated propositions. Findings The authors offer a firm-level conceptualization of social dilemmas that links diagnostic dilemma attributes to matched marketing solution bundles and specifies boundary conditions that shape effectiveness. The framework explains how marketing efforts translate antecedents into firm-level outcomes, while positioning employee-, consumer- and society-level consequences as broader downstream implications of firms’ efforts to resolve social dilemmas, yielding clear, mechanism-based propositions for explanation and prediction. Research limitations/implications Future research could expand on this research by empirically testing the proposed framework and exploring marketing solutions for resolving different social dilemmas. Practical implications This study offers actionable strategies for marketers and marketing to address social dilemmas, foster stakeholder relationships, enhance organizational outcomes and benefit society. Social implications Addressing firm-level social dilemmas through marketing activities fosters long-term societal benefits while enhancing firm performance. Originality/value This research advances the understanding of social dilemmas within the marketing domain through a novel framework and a taxonomy of marketing solutions that address firm-specific challenges. By bridging gaps across disciplines, it contributes foundations for innovative marketing strategies that can resolve complex social dilemmas.