Changes in the Discourse on Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study, the Example of a Trade Journal in the Field of Human Resource Management

Abstract

The concept of social responsibility has been present in both the literature as well as the practice of Polish enterprises for over two decades. Systemic transformation, periods of prosperity and economic slowdown, external influences stemming from globalization processes, internationalization entailing international standards, and examples of different types of management practices as well as local influences— changes in awareness among employees and consumers—have had an impact on changes in the understanding of corporate responsibility in the social environment. The aim of the paper is to describe changes in the method of presenting the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and related practices in human resource management to specialists dealing with people management. The analysis encompasses articles published between 2003 and 2020 in Personel i Zarządzanie [Personnel and Management]—one of the most widely read industry magazines addressed to specialists dealing with human resource management. The conducted research shows that the way in which CSR is communicated and presented changes over time, where in recent years the CSR concept has been used as a signal to draw attention to selected human management practices.