Abstract: This study examines how CEOs’ political ideology shapes firms’ exposure to supplier-induced environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controversies. Drawing on upper echelons theory and signalling theory, we argue that CEOs’ ideological positioning influences how global value chain governance priorities are interpreted by supply chain partners and shapes firms’ vulnerability to supplier-induced ESG misconduct. We investigate these using panel data on S&P 500 firms from 2010 to 2023. CEO political ideology is measured using individual political donation records, and supplier-induced ESG controversies are captured using RepRisk incident data.

About Byung-Gak Son  

Byung-Gak Son is a Professor of Supply Chain Management at Bayes Business School, City, University of London. He also holds visiting faculty positions at several leading business schools, including Bologna Business School and Trinity Business School, Dublin.His research interests include supply networks, buyer-supplier relationships, and innovation. Professor Son has published extensively in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Operations Management, the Journal of International Business Studies, and Production and Operations Management.

Professor Son teaches supply chain management modules at both MSc and MBA levels. He currently serves as Managing Editor of the International Journal of Operations and Production Management.