Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility – A Case of CSR Communication in Emerging Economies

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe debate concerning corporate social responsibility (CSR) is shifting from public relations, reputation management, and cause marketing to issues of competitive advantage and good corporate governance. The need for and benefits of proactive and transparent communication about CSR are widely acknowledged. This study uses the case study approach to examine the practice and communication of CSR in emerging economies with a focus on India. This empirical study analyses the CSR and governance themes of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the largest private company from India for CSR communication. The study finds that the company lacks an inclusive and strategic approach to CSR communication. Based on the findings, we develop a participatory ‘top‐down’ and ‘inside‐out’ approach to management of CSR communication by corporates in emerging economies in Asia. Despite some limitations, this study is expected to serve as a pointer to the effectiveness of CSR communication by the Indian corporate sector in particular and Asian companies in general. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.