Connections between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporation Image: Risk Society as the Moderator

Abstract

The focus of this research is on the negative effects brought about by the industrial progress, especially the electromagnetic field that comes along with the telecommunication industry. While modern people are blessed by the conveniences of the telecommunication, they also have to take the risks of exposing to electromagnetic field. If the corporations do not perform their social responsibility, the risks may trigger irreparable consequences. In addition to the threats to the mobile phone users, the side effects of electromagnetic field can undermine the corporate image. This is what Ulrich Beck (1992) calls ”the boomerang effect”. If the corporations do not take actions to uphold their responsibility and image, large quantity of social costs and capitals will be lavished when risks have evolved to crises. This paper takes this argument as the research subject, and probes into the interconnections between corporate social responsibility and corporate image. Risk society here, is taken as the moderator and to further examine the correlations between corporate social responsibility and corporate image.