Abstract
This chapter explores the challenges and importance of effective communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for organisations. It highlights the evolution of CSR and its trajectory from defensive to transformative approaches. The chapter also discusses the three fundamental philosophies shaping CSR practices: laissez-faire, good citizen, and government and business corporation philosophy. Effective communication of CSR programmes is essential, and organisations must consider factors such as sincerity, stakeholder perceptions, source credibility, appropriate communication channels, and the influence of information technology. To address the challenges, the chapter proposes the PESO integrated media model as a framework for CSR communication, which includes paid, earned, shared, and owned media. The model offers organisations the opportunity to leverage different media channels strategically to effectively communicate their CSR activities, engage stakeholders, and achieve their communication objectives sustainably.
TopIntroduction
Over time, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has played a crucial role in the progress of organisations (Mullins R., 2007). It has been approached from various perspectives within the context of sustainable development, necessitating that organisations define their objectives and articulate their approach to CSR. Understanding the potential impact of CSR on a company’s prospects is critical for defining and adopting an operational model (Mullins R., 2007; Ogunyombo, 2018)
Corporate social responsibility, which was once considered peripheral to core business activities, has now become a standard practice, with an increasing number of businesses globally engaging in CSR initiatives. A survey conducted in 2007 revealed that a majority of corporate managers (55.2%) considered CSR a high or very high priority, marking a significant increase from a study conducted three years prior where only 33.9% acknowledged its importance (Mullins J., 2007). Past studies show that an even larger majority (68.9%) expect the importance of CSR to further increase in the future (e.g., Bortree, 2014; Mullins R., 2007).
In today’s business landscape, organisations are expected to fulfil their responsibilities towards shareholders, employees and customers by operating within legal frameworks and conducting business ethically. Engaging in philanthropic activities is also seen as essential to attract positive feedback from stakeholders, given the growing importance and value attached to CSR as part of corporate strategy. Corporate social responsibility provides organisations with an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to societal needs and environmental concerns within their operational environments (Ogunyombo, 2018).
However, effective communication of CSR initiatives remains a significant challenge for some organisations and CSR managers, despite it being their responsibility. Aggressive promotion of CSR achievements runs the risk of eliciting negative responses from stakeholders, a phenomenon known as the “boomerang response” (Bortree, 2014). Due to public distrust, some firms fear that their attempts to communicate CSR achievements may be perceived as “greenwashing,” falsely portraying genuine engagement in CSR through public relations tactics. Furthermore, stakeholders may cynically perceive even genuinely committed companies engaging in CSR, as they often do not directly witness these initiatives (Bortree, 2014; Ogunyombo, 2018). Given these challenges, this chapter aims to propose an integrated media model for effective CSR communication.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Media Relations: Media relations is a subset of public relations that focuses specifically on managing the relationship between an organisation and the media. It involves establishing and nurturing contacts with journalists, editors and other media professionals to facilitate accurate and timely coverage of the organisation’s news, events and initiatives.
Communication and Sustainability: Communication and sustainability encompass the strategic management of information dissemination and engagement efforts by organisations to promote and uphold environmentally and socially responsible practices. This involves transparently conveying an organisation’s sustainability goals, initiatives and achievements to both internal and external stakeholders, fostering awareness, understanding and support for sustainable practices.
Media Engagement: Media engagement involves the strategic interaction between an organisation and various media outlets, such as newspapers, television, radio, online publications and blogs. This interaction includes sharing information, responding to media inquiries and collaborating on stories to ensure accurate and positive coverage of the organisation.
Organisations: Organisations are structured entities, whether for-profit, non-profit, governmental, or other types, that bring together individuals and resources to achieve specific goals. They typically have defined hierarchies, roles and responsibilities and their functioning involves decision-making, resource allocation and the pursuit of strategic objectives.
Public Relations: Public Relations (PR) is a strategic communication discipline focused on managing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and its various publics. PR professionals engage in activities such as media relations, crisis communication, event management and stakeholder engagement to shape and maintain a positive public perception of the organisation.
Reputation Management: Reputation management refers to the deliberate efforts by an organisation to build, maintain and enhance its overall image and perception among its stakeholders. It involves monitoring public opinion, addressing potential negative perceptions and strategically managing communication and actions to ensure that the organisation’s reputation remains positive and aligned with its desired brand identity.
Stakeholder Engagement: Stakeholder engagement involves the proactive and ongoing interaction between an organisation and its diverse range of stakeholders, which may include customers, employees, investors, suppliers, communities and more. Effective stakeholder engagement aims to foster open dialogue, gather insights, address concerns and build mutually beneficial relationships that align with the organisation’s goals and values.
Social media: Social media refers to online platforms and technologies that enable users to create, share and interact with content in a virtual social environment. Organisations utilise social media for communication, marketing, branding and engagement purposes to connect with their target audiences and build online communities.
Peso Model: The PESO Model is a communication framework that categorises communication efforts into four main types: Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media. It is utilised to develop comprehensive and integrated communication strategies that leverage a mix of these media types to effectively reach target audiences and achieve organisational objectives.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to the ethical and strategic commitment of an organisation to integrate social and environmental considerations into its business operations and interactions with various stakeholders. It involves initiatives and practices that aim to contribute positively to society, the environment and the well-being of communities, beyond the organisation’s profit-driven objectives.