How Kuwaiti Companies Communicate their Social Responsibility Roles: A 10-Year Content Analysis of CSR Concepts and Themes

Abstract

Objective: Using institutional theory as the theoretical framework, this study aims to provide new knowledge about the social roles of Kuwaiti companies in terms of social responsibility concepts and themes that are reflected in their reports. Methods: The study relied on quantitative data collected from 490 annual and corporate social responsibility reports of leading Kuwaiti companies from 2010 to 2019. This study analyzed how these companies communicate their social roles in terms of concepts and themes that are prevalent in the literature and their statistical association with each other, type of industry, and the 10-year timeframe. Results: The study provided empirical insights demonstrating that corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a concept is dominant and institutionalized in the social responsibility discourse of Kuwaiti companies, while corporate sustainability and corporate community involvement compete to be part of that discourse and are in the process of being institutionalized. An analysis of the salience of the social themes in the reports showed that issues related to the environment and community are increasing at an exponential rate. The findings showed that the banking and telecommunications industries represent the leading sectors of the social responsibility scene in Kuwait, and that industry type is not relevant to CSR efforts. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to institutional theory, public relations, and strategic communication.