Instrumental, Strategic and Political Conception of Corporate Social Responsibility

Sibel Hostut,Secil Deren Van Het Hof

doi:10.29333/ojcmt/2583

Abstract

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature defines instrumental, strategic and political approaches to CSR. The strategic approach to CSR in transnational corporations goes beyond the customer orientated short time issue management, persuasion and financial performance, but emphasizes a long time perspective based on planned, implemented and evaluated projects to create business value. The research in this paper focuses on the corporate communication directors conception of corporate social responsibility. Participants from transnational and Turkish national corporations have been interviewed and qualitatively analysed. Thefindingsshowthatallinterviewedparticipantsare enthusiastic about the concept of social responsibility. They define CSR as the “raison d'etre of the company” or “the sine qua non of sustainability is social responsibility”. Two of three Turkish national corporations’ CSR conception can be defined as a stage between instrumental and strategic, because CSR in these corporations is more customer orientated with limited or short time influence at the one side, but also implemented for sustainability and to create business value on the other side. The CSR perspective of a Turkish national company based on a farmers union established half a century in order to serve the interests of the local community and stimulate development is clearly political. The conception of sustainability and responsiveness to stakeholders was inherent in the establishment of this particular firm. We conclude that there is a remarkable agreement between the CSR directors’ perspective and the firm’s organizational behaviour and that the cases follow the classification described in the literature to some extent.

Highlights

There is no clear-cut and concrete definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as CSR contains almost everything of public concern
Participants from transnational corporations defined social responsibility asto think about future generations (C2), as is being a good neighbour (C3), returning what is gained from the society (C3), in a permanent, consistent, sustainable and measurable way (C3).Others from national corporations defined it as every kind of service for social interests (C4), as national development and social enterprise (C5) or creating awareness emerged as the leading notions associated with CSR (C6)
This research focuses on the CSR directors or managers’ conception of CSR in transnational and Turkish national corporations within the terminology of instrumental, strategic and political CSR

Summary

Introduction

There is no clear-cut and concrete definition of CSR as CSR contains almost everything of public concern. The European Commission (2001) regards CSR as “a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis”. This definition comprises the economic, social, environmental, stakeholder and voluntariness dimensions of CSR developed through a content analysis of existing CSR definitions by Dahlsrud (2008). Sustainability reporting has recently become more important because, since the first quarter of 2014 Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange (BIST) has a new listing called BIST Sustainability Index This index is based on environmental, social and governance issues of the companies in order to encourage investment in sustainable companies This index is based on environmental, social and governance issues of the companies in order to encourage investment in sustainable companies (Hoştut & Deren Van Het Hof, 2015, p. 117)

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Results

Conclusion