Corporate Social Responsibility

1. Introduction
There are a number of definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) available that typically focus on different factors that should be included in these initiatives (Verschoor, 2009). A concise definition provided by The Financial Times states that CSR is “is a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders” (Definition of corporate social responsibility, 2017, para. 1). This definition is congruent with the consumers’ perspective of CSR as well, with the most important factors including: (a) corporations need to be committed to their employees; (b) corporations need to be committed to the public and communities and overall society; (c) corporations have a responsibility to provide quality products; and (d) corporations have a responsibility to the environment (Verschoor, 2009). The respective internal and external drivers and obstacles of CSR are discussed below followed by a discussion of the role of CSR communication in achieving organizational goals.
2. Drivers and Obstacles of CSR
Internal Organizational Drivers and Obstacles:
One of the overarching obstacles to successful CSR initiatives is the mindset of some corporate leaders concerning the utility of these efforts. Until fairly recently, many corporate leaders viewed CSR initiatives as so much greenwashing intended only to minimally satisfy the expectations of shareholders and other stakeholders. Increasingly, however, many corporate leaders are recognizing that CSR initiatives that are aligned with organizational goals can provide significant returns on these investments. For instance, Ballou, Casey, Grenier and Heitgerp (2012) emphasize that, “If organizations think about sustainability initiatives in the same manner as their core business decisions, such initiatives cannot only be a source of competitive advantage and long-term value for shareholders, but also be highly valued by an organization’s multiple stakeholders” (p. 268). Beyond these intangibles, though, other drivers of CSR initiatives include their ability to directly contribute to a corporation’s profitability (Carrasco & Buendía-Martínez, 2016). To facilitate the process, some corporations have created CSR teams to identify opportunities and implement appropriate initiatives; others, however, have implemented CSR strategies organization-wide in less obvious but still significant ways. For example, Brooks (2010) reports that, “Some [corporations] have set up a substantial CSR team while others have embraced CSR in a more subtle and pervasive way. The latter have changed their values as a result and require all activities to reflect these new values” (p. 12).
External Organizational Drivers and Obstacles:
As growing numbers of companies of all sizes and types embrace CSR as a philosophy that has proven benefits, it will become increasingly important for corporations to pursue these types of initiatives as well in order to remain competitive. Consequently, CSR just makes good business sense. As noted in the introduction, although CSR lacks definitional clarify, Frecea (2015) suggests that “giving back to the community” in substantive ways represents the core of CSR in an otherwise highly globalized marketplace. In this regard, Frecea advises that, “Some international organizations have [adopted] a concept [that] includes non-financial responsibilities in their operational process. This valuable approach is based on the voluntary CSR character and facilitates the connection between corporations and society to generate an increased social welfare” (2015, p. 36). Regardless of the type or level of CSR programs that are in place or planned, achieving optimal outcomes requires an organization-wide communication plan to ensure that all executives and employees understand the importance of these initiatives and the rationale behind them as discussed below.
3. The Role of CSR Communication (Communicate CSR more effectively to stakeholders)
Communicate Channels. The role of CSR communication is to promote buy-in on the part of all stakeholders, most especially the organization’s human resources. In the past, many corporations have used mainstream media such as print media and television as communication channels to promote their CSR initiatives, but these types of practices are increasingly viewed as self-promotional and inappropriate. In this regard, Kesavan and Bernacchi (2013) emphasize that, “Evidence shows these types of CSR communication efforts through traditional channels are seen as being less than credible. The message is clear that CSR messages, no matter how valuable and credible, are not being properly conveyed via conventional media” (p. 59). Indeed, even if a corporation donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to community-based initiatives, they will not benefit from these investments if they spend tens of millions of dollars bragging about it.
Factors that influence the effectiveness of CSR communication: There are some superior and highly cost-effective alternatives that are available for CSR communication, though, including most especially social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook where consumers can share their experiences and views about a corporation’s CSR activities in a moderated forum. Empirical observations, word of mouth and personal testimonials are increasingly viewed as more credible than the greenwashing efforts used by many corporations today (Kesevan & Bernacchi, 2013).


References
Ballou, B., Casey, R. J., Grenier, J. H. & Heitger, D. L. (2012). Exploring the strategic integration of sustainability initiatives: Opportunities for accounting research. Accounting Horizons, 26(2), 265-288.
Brooks, M. (2010, June). Incorporated social responsibility: Authentic CSR is an attitude that pervades every business decision. Financial Management, 12.
Carrasco, I. & Buendia-Martinez, I. (2016, January 1). From the business strategy result to a source of economic development: The dual role of CSR. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 26(1), 69-73.
Definition of corporate social responsibility. (2017). The Financial Times. Retrieved from http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=corporate-social-responsibility--(CSR).
Frecea, G. L. (2016, June 1). CSR integration into the financial economy: A conceptual approach. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 8(1), 35-39.
Kesavan, R. & Bernacchi, M. D. (2013, January 1). Word of mouse: CSR communication and the social media. International Management Review, 9(1), 58-62.
Verschoor, C. C. (2009, August). Consumers consider the importance of corporate social responsibility. Strategic Finance, 20-24.