Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Strategies Research Articles

CSR Communication and the Polarization of Public Discourses: Introduction to the Special Issue

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication faces significant challenges due to an increasing polarization of public discourses. This polarization oversimplifies societal differences into “us versus them” dynamics, complicating consensus building and eroding trust in democratic processes. Traditionally, CSR communication research has focused on how organizations negotiate meanings between various stakeholders. However, the rise in polarization necessitates a broader research scope to understand its impact on CSR practices and organizational relationships. This Special Issue of Management Communication Quarterly explores these evolving challenges, analyzing how polarization reshapes CSR communication and outlining strategies for businesses to navigate this fragmented landscape. The issue also reflects on the broader role of corporations amidst tendencies of polarization and suggests directions for future research.

Corporate social responsibility communication strategies of hotel companies

Corporate social responsibility communication strategies of hotel companies

CSR communication in hospitality: Fostering hotel guests’ climate (change) engagement

This study aimed to explore effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategies to increase hotel guests’ engagement in climate change initiatives. Utilizing regulatory fit theory and construal level theory, three scenario-based experimental designs were devised. These designs empirically analyzed the responses of 1500 hotel guests to 12 different types of CSR communication messages. Framed along goal framing (either gain or loss) and temporal/spatial/social distance (either far or close), these messages allowed guests to articulate their attitudes and behaviors concerning climate change engagement. All three experiments revealed that CSR communication became more persuasive with regulatory fit, leading to increased intentions for green word-of-mouth (green WOM) and a willingness to pay a green premium (green WTPP). To further validate the findings, the study also investigated the moderating effect of temporal/spatial/social distance on message framing. We found that temporal distance amplified the congruence between goal framing and regulatory focus, resulting in heightened green WOM intentions. Social distance also increased this alignment, resulting in heightened green WOM intentions and green WTPP. This study contributes to the literature on hotel guest climate (change) engagement by examining the concept through CSR communication strategies. It offers a valuable perspective on the nexus of guest engagement, CSR, and sustainability, contributing uniquely to theory and practice in these interconnected fields.

Case Study on Different Types of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Communication on Social Media and Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Brand Identification in the Dairy Industry of China

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication on social media has become an important way for companies to attract and maintain customers. As a highly interactive communication channel, social media provides companies with opportunities to showcase their CSR initiatives and corporate values. However, different types of CSR communication often have different communication effects. This study reviews previous research on the relationship between CSR communication, brand identification and brand loyalty, highlighting the theoretical foundations and empirical research. After that, a survey research method was used to collect data through questionnaires, and the data were statistically analyzed using SEM-PLS to verify the existence and extent of the mediating role. The research findings indicate that both societal CSR communication and environmental CSR communication have direct and indirect effects on brand identification and brand loyalty, respectively. However, despite the direct positive correlation observed between customer-related CSR communication and brand loyalty, neither the direct relationship with brand identification nor the indirect relationship through brand identification to brand loyalty was supported. This study combines the relationships between different types of CSR communication in social media, brand identification and brand loyalty and focuses on the mediating role of brand identification. It can be devoted to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for companies to develop more targeted CSR communication strategies.

Analyzing Media Impact on Public Engagement with CSR Practices

This study examines the impact of media on public engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices using a qualitative approach. The focus of the analysis is on the narratives formed by digital and traditional media and their influence on public perceptions of CSR activities. Data were gathered from content analysis of 100 news articles and 50 social media posts related to CSR activities of five multinational companies over the past year. The results indicate that consistently positive media narratives about CSR tend to enhance company reputation and public support, while negative exposure triggers less favorable public reactions. The study also found that influencers and digital activists play a crucial role in shaping online discourse about CSR, significantly influencing public perceptions. These findings suggest that companies need to design effective CSR communication strategies and continuously monitor and evaluate these strategies to ensure sustained positive impact on public engagement with CSR activities

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN RETAIL SECTOR: ARE EMPLOYEES AWARE OF WHAT THEIR EMPLOYERS ARE DOING?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is the adoption of responsible business practices concerning economic, environmental, and social CSR, is an important topic among marketers aiming to develop market value with various stakeholder groups, including employees. Previous research is limited to developed market economies and has focused mainly on external stakeholder groups. This study explored South African retail employees’ awareness of their organizations’ CSR initiatives. The sample size was 229 South African retail employees, from lower-level employees up to middle and senior management. The study made use of a computer-aided self-administered survey, distributed via LinkedIn. The results indicated that lower-level employees are less aware of economic, environmental, and social CSR initiatives implemented by their organizations than those in middle and senior management, but that there was no significant difference between middle and senior managements’ levels of awareness of their organizations’ CSR initiatives. The results also indicated that employees have higher levels of awareness when it comes to internal economic CSR, external economic CSR, and external social CSR, as opposed to internal environmental CSR, external environmental CSR, and internal social CSR initiatives. The findings of the study can assist organizations to customize internal CSR communication strategies.

Punishing the good? How to minimize an unfair CSR-washing label

Many businesses engage genuinely in corporate social responsibility (CSR). But others engage in CSR-washing: using social concerns for financial gain and the distortion of internal practices to project the image of CSR to stakeholders. Unfair CSR-washing happens when a company is accused of being a CSR-washer despite having made significant and genuine efforts to address social or environmental issues. CSR-washing harms firms’ reputations, resulting in the loss of consumer and stakeholder trust and even in potential lawsuits, depending on the type and severity of the behavior. We offer four interconnected, evidence-based recommendations to minimize a business’s unfair perception as a CSR-washer: (1) integrate CSR into core activities rather than peripheral activities, (2) adopt a bottom-up approach to CSR, (3) develop an integrative performance-management/CSR system, and (4) develop an effective CSR communication strategy. We also offer specific implementation guidelines for each recommendation. Implementing these evidence-based practices will help organizations plan, execute, and monitor their CSR initiatives while remaining authentic and minimizing the chance of being labeled as CSR-washers.

Sampoerna Retail Community Program Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Strategy in Marga Mulya, Bekasi City

The CSR program is a company commitment to support the creation of sustainable development. PT HM Sampoerna Tbk is one of the companies in Indonesia that implements a CSR program. The CSR program they run is the Sampoerna Retail Community (SRC), which aims to foster partner grocery stores to become more innovative and competitive. In this research stage, the literature review was carried out with a systematic approach, by referring to various sources available in various research databases. After the screening process, 7 articles were selected to proceed to the next stage. The results of the research are that PT HM Sampoerna Tbk has successfully implemented the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program with a mature and effective communication strategy. The steps taken by the company, starting from setting clear goals, actively communicating with various stakeholders, to involving the community in planning and implementing programs, have had a significant positive impact

Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Strategies for Building Trust and Fostering Social Impact.

This research aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and stakeholder engagement in contemporary business settings. The significance of CSR has grown globally, as organizations are expected to go beyond legal requirements and address the needs and expectations of various stakeholder groups. However, several issues hinder the effective implementation and communication of CSR initiatives. These include a lack of knowledge and experience in CSR sustainability, inadequate skills within public relations teams, employees' commitment and satisfaction, and growing public skepticism towards CSR goals. The research seeks to investigate how businesses can enhance their CSR communication strategies to build trust, reduce skepticism, and foster meaningful social impact. It will examine the role of social media as a platform for disseminating CSR messages, the relationship between CSR activities and organizational citizenship behavior, and the importance of clear communication channels between organizations and the public. Findings from this study will provide practical insights for businesses in optimizing their CSR communication efforts, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and contributing positively to society.

Transparency reports as CSR reports: motives, stakeholders, and strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to situate information and communications technology (ICT) “transparency reports” within the theoretical framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting. The self-denominated transparency report serves a dual purpose of highlighting an ICT company’s socially responsible behavior while also holding government agencies accountable for surveillance and requests for user data. Drawing on legitimacy theory, neo-institutional theory and stakeholder theory, this exploratory study examines how ICT companies are implementing industry-specific voluntary disclosures as a form of CSR.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of ICT voluntary nonfinancial reporting (N = 88) was used to identify motivating principles, the company positioning to stakeholders, the relevant publics and intended audience of these disclosures and the communication strategy used to engage primary stakeholders.FindingsKey findings suggest that most ICT companies used transparency reporting to engage consumers/users as their primary stakeholders and most used a stakeholder information strategy. A majority of ICT companies signaled value-driven motives in their transparency reports while also positioning the company to stakeholders as a protector of user data and advocate for consumer rights.Originality/valueThis study enriches the literature on CSR communication strategies and reporting practices by extending it to an underdeveloped topic of study: novel voluntary disclosures as CSR activities of prominent ICT companies (i.e. “Big Tech”). These polyphonic reports reflect varied motives, varied positioning and varied stakeholders. For market-leading companies, transparency reporting can serve to legitimize existing market power. And for midsize and emerging companies, transparency reporting can be used to signal adherence to industry norms – set by market-leading companies.

Sustainable Strategy: Analyzing the Role of CSR Communication of Select Companies to the Stakeholders

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how companies reach their stakeholders through their website for communicating their sustainable practices and also identify the effectiveness of website communication. Better communication of CSR policies and adopting technologies for implementation would make the company’s sustainability policy stronger (Gayathri S, J.V, 2019) Theoretical Framework: This research paper deals with the concept ,as per signaling theory, which states that CSR communication through the corporate website (CSRccw) largely contributes to building corporate image (Hetze, K., & Winistörfer, H.,2016).From the list of top 100 CSR companies in India for the year 2020 listed in the futurescape webpage available online at:https://www.futurescape.in/responsible-business-rankings/indias-top-100-companies/,four companies have been chosen for the analysis. This is the research paper in the process; thus it was intended to study two sectors initially and in the future study other sectors are decided to be included. The respective company website section of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) was assessed, and the report was analysed using NVivo software. Design/methodology/approach: Website of the organizations were analyzed using Nvivo (Nvivo 12 – Trial Version). It is a mixed-method data analysis tool with text analysis capabilities. The method employed in this study is a word cloud and text analysis. This analysis adopts a quantitative approach looking at word frequency, word co-occurrence, and the clustering of documents based on word similarity. Findings: Organizations aims at adopting sustainable practices and above all they focus and intent to communicate the same to their stakeholders. The Results of this research paper indicates that, organizations predominantly use website among other CSR communication strategies. Most of their focus areas were youth, education. Community development. Words used prominently helped the stakeholders to relate the words which reflected in brand building. Research, Practical/social implications: The study has analyzed only four companies as a starting point and future studies can be rigorously done using a larger set of sample date set.. a sentimental analysis can be done. Since social media is becoming an effective communication platform, corporations should pay more focus on using social media especially through its website. The corporations should encourage stakeholders’ views related to CSR communication on social media. Originality/value: The value of this research is that, it helps us understand the way companies use their website for CSR communication, since the majority of these type of studies were conducted are in the developing countries like US and Europe. Limited research and insights are found in the emerging markets. This study focuses on the emerging markets.

Does CSR influence consumer behaviour as a marketing tool? Case study from the Slovak food market

The submitted paper aims at CSR activities and marketing communication of food companies in Slovakia and its influence on consumer behaviour and their decision-making. On the threshold of the 3rd millennium, the CSR of food companies is also connected with rationality and irrationality in creating preferences in consumer shopping behaviour. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received much attention in recent years. Food companies are currently using CSR to gain a competitive advantage, and these activities have also penetrated the marketing field. In the field of CSR and the food market in the Slovak Republic, we conducted a survey based on a questionnaire focused on CSR activities as a marketing tool in the food market from the customers’ perspective. In the questionnaire, the most important problems and aspects related to the CSR issue were examined and transferred to the questionnaire offered to online respondents. We ensured the representativeness of the research sample by addressing the questionnaire to target interest groups and respondents of all age categories focused on the food market. Three research questions were set for analysing corporate social responsibility as a marketing tool of food companies in Slovakia from the consumer’s point of view. The questionnaire survey results with 1,254 participating respondents showed that although they are familiar with the concept of CSR, a large percentage of respondents need to learn about these activities or pay more attention to them. Based on our conducted research, customers perceive the CSR activities of food companies in most cases as a marketing communication tool that builds the company’s good name and image. We can also observe a huge impact in the area of rationality and irrationality when creating preferences in the purchasing behaviour of consumers based on CSR activities and their implications and communications with customers. We used the Chi-square test, proportional Z test, two-sample and frequency and contingency tables to evaluate the data statistically. Communication of CSR activities is a difficult task for food companies, which currently brings many threats and opportunities. For this reason, businesses need the right CSR communication strategy to influence consumer attitudes and behaviour effectively. CSR in the food industry is particularly important because of the wide range of potential benefits.

Corporate Social Responsibility on Twitter: A Review of Topics and Digital Communication Strategies’ Success Factors

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly important for companies in recent years. On the one hand, regulatory frameworks require the disclosure of measures for sustainable management. On the other hand, for long-term corporate success, stakeholders must be strategically engaged in the dialog on sustainability aspects. Social media and Twitter in particular offer the potential to foster a meaningful stakeholder dialogue on CSR topics. Twitter’s strategic realignment due to Elon Musk’s acquisition in the fall of 2022, provides an opportunity to capture research results on activities and strategies on the platform systematically, and to synthesize information for future comparative longitudinal studies of changes in usage. We conducted a literature review including 42 papers to contribute to the body of evidence on CSR communication strategies on Twitter across industries and countries, by deriving interdisciplinary suggestions for strategic CSR-related stakeholder management. Results cover relevant CSR topics, prioritized stakeholder groups for CSR communication on Twitter, and successful communication strategies for companies to obtain beneficial results, such as generating social media capital. The results contribute to the strategic planning and implementation of CSR stakeholder management on Twitter, and offer starting points for future studies on social-media mining and CSR communication strategies.

Do strategy and content matter? Restaurant firms’ corporate social responsibility communication on Twitter: A social network theory perspective

Social media allows restaurants practitioners to distribute corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related information to interested individuals. However, it is unclear which types of CSR activities or communication strategies are more effective in terms of influencing consumers’ behavioral and emotional responses, especially in the restaurant industry. To shorten this research gap, the current study collected 136 CSR-related posts alongside 3408 stakeholders’ replies from the U.S. green restaurants’ Twitter accounts. Content analysis, ANOVA, and sentiment analysis using R studio were conducted for data evaluation. It was found that CSR activities related to the local community and society were as important as the activities related to the environment. Moreover, the engagement CSR communication strategy had a stronger influence on customers’ behavioral responses, generating more positive sentiments than broadcasting or reactive strategies on Twitter. The research findings may help restaurant practitioners communicate CSR-related information more effectively on social media.

The differential impact of monological and dialogical corporate social responsibility communication strategies on brand trust in the credence goods market

PurposeThis study aims at investigating the differential impact of different CSR communication strategies on consumers' brand trust and consequent attitudes and behaviors in the credence goods market.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental laboratory study was conducted to collect data from graduate students (n = 414) from two Chinese universities. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model.FindingsThe results show that a dialogical communication strategy, compared to a monological communication strategy, is significantly more effective in increasing consumers' brand trust for credence goods as well as their willingness-to-buy and positive word-of-mouth. The results also confirm the mediating effect of CSR knowledge and the moderating effect of broad-scope trust on the relationship between CSR communication strategies and brand trust.Practical implicationsThis study implies that in order to promote consumer trust and supportive behaviors toward brands, managers of companies in credence goods market should consider the increased use of various dialogical CSR communication strategies.Originality/valueThe study is one of the first to verify the impact of dialogical vs monological CSR communication strategies on consumers of credence goods.

Corporate reputation through strategic communication of corporate social responsibility

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributes towards a favourable corporate reputation. It explores the communication strategies and channels organisations deemed reputable by stakeholders use to achieve an effective CSR communication.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this, a qualitative content analysis using the directed approach was conducted on the textual CSR communication materials of ten reputable organisations in South Africa based on the 2018 South Africa Reptrak survey.FindingsResult showed that seven out of ten organisations use both self-serving and society-serving motive in their CSR communication, while the other 3 use only the society serving motive. The informing strategy was also more evident in the CSR communication materials than the interactive strategy. In terms of the communication channels, the study found that organisations mainly utilise controlled channels for CSR communication.Originality/valueThe literature reviewed and the findings of this study reveal a gap between the theory and practice of CSR communication. This drives the need for organisations to research and tailor CSR communication based on stakeholders' unique characteristics and preferences. The paper also contributes to improving the knowledge on the role different CSR communication strategies and channels play in CSR communication.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication via social media sites: evidence from the German banking industry

PurposeThis study aims to explore how banks practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication on two popular social media sites (SMSs), Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, this study examines CSR communication strategies on SMSs, including the levels of communication direction and communication balance.Design/methodology/approachData were extracted from Facebook and Twitter over a five-year period (2015–2019), and content analysis was performed. The research setting was the German banking industry.FindingsThe results indicate that the number of banks using SMSs to communicate CSR-information increased over time. Although the majority of banks’ messages were not related to CSR, the most-referenced (least-referenced) CSR-theme was “society” (“human rights”). On Facebook, banks employed an interacting CSR communication strategy more often than an informing one when communicating CSR activities; on Twitter banks used a balanced mix of communication strategies. In terms of stakeholder engagement, social media users interacted with banks more frequently on Facebook than on Twitter, and banks made efforts to engage in two-way symmetrical communication.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample comprised the most relevant banks in Germany, it was limited to a single national context. Thus, the results may not be generalizable.Originality/valueThis study makes a significant contribution to the limited literature on banks’ CSR communication via SMSs, provides new empirical evidence on the use of CSR communication strategies and extends prior research on the direction and balance of communication. Recommendations are provided for banking communication practitioners.

How Temporal Order of Inconsistent CSR Information Affects Consumer Perceptions?

What happens first between a corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and a crisis can result in different levels of perceived cognitive dissonance and corporate hypocrisy depending on whether there is information inconsistency between the CSR communication and the crisis. This paper presents the findings from an experimental study and an online survey conducted and administered to investigate the contingency influence on consumer perceptions in response to inconsistent information. The results indicate that consumers experience greater cognitive dissonance and perceive more corporate hypocrisy when they are exposed, first, to a CSR initiative and then to a crisis, than when the order is reversed, provided that the CSR initiative and the crisis are congruent with the same social issue. However, there are no significant differences when the CSR initiative is incongruent with the crisis. Further, the findings of the study suggest that consumer cognitive dissonance not only directly influences the perceived corporate reputation, but also indirectly affects the perceived corporate reputation through a mediating effect of perceived corporate hypocrisy. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in providing a better understanding of consumer perceptions (including cognitive dissonance, perceived corporate hypocrisy and corporate reputation) in response to inconsistent CSR information. Meanwhile, the managerial contribution of this study stands by providing insights into the use of CSR communication strategies.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Engagement: A Content Analysis of PRSA Silver Anvil Award-Winning CSR Campaigns

Stakeholder engagement has been an important research topic across many disciplines. In this study, we examined the concept of stakeholder engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and identified how organizations engage stakeholders in their CSR communication by analyzing successful CSR programs. Two coders conducted a content analysis of 146 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Award-winning CSR campaigns implemented during the past ten years. The results show that many organizations have engaged stakeholders in their CSR programs in various ways to increase awareness about social issues, change stakeholder behavior, and create favorable attitudes toward the organizations. As for CSR communication strategies, stakeholder response strategies were frequently observed, which is relevant to the two-way asymmetric communication model. Many organizations receive feedback from their stakeholders and demonstrate how they integrate their stakeholders’ concerns. The result also shows that social media is widely used for digital engagement. However, despite its potential to become an interactive, dialogic space, response strategy is used more often than involvement strategy. Although co-creating a CSR strategy with stakeholders and making a shared decision (i.e., stakeholder involvement strategy) is ideal for building a mutually beneficial relationship between an organization and its stakeholders, few organizations have employed this strategy. This study also found that partnership is a common stakeholder engagement strategy in CSR communication. Many organizations have used third-party endorsement and engaged nonprofits, opinion leaders, and social media influencers in their CSR communication.

Driving Employee Engagement through CSR Communication and Employee Perceived Motives: The Role of CSR-Related Social Media Engagement and Job Engagement

Employee engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are two important issues attracting an increasing amount of attention from both business communication researchers and practitioners. A theory-driven model that (1) conceptualizes employee engagement as social media engagement, job engagement, and organizational engagement, and (2) explicates how they are related to an organization’s CSR communication strategies and employee perceived CSR motives is still lacking. To place our study in the context of CSR and business communication, we proposed a strategies-motives-employee engagement model. Results from an online Qualtrics survey (n = 836) supported all our hypotheses except for the direct link between interacting CSR communication strategies and employee organizational engagement. We conducted a two-step Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis to test all our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of the study were discussed.