Unraveling the nexus of corporate political engagement and greenwashing in global markets

Purpose Despite a robust stream of international marketing research on greenwashing, it remains unclear how corporate political engagement (CPE) activities create conditions that allow greenwashing to flourish. This study investigates how CPE activities drive greenwashing across different markets. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a conceptual review of the literature, complemented by illustrative cases of internationally active firms, this study develops an integrated conceptual framework to capture market dynamics and institutional effects. Findings The analysis sheds new light on how greenwashing has gained momentum, undermining and diluting sustainability communications while fueling consumer skepticism toward environmental claims. Moreover, greenwashing risks further eroding the credibility of other firms' green initiatives and claims. The analysis also demonstrates that institutional impediments typical of emerging markets contribute to the exponential growth of greenwashing. Originality/value This study advances an integrated conceptual framework that accounts for differential contextual effects interacting with CPE activities to drive greenwashing. Accordingly, greenwashing partly stems from the blurring of boundaries between politics and business in both advanced and developing economies.