A Stakeholder-Centric Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Framework: A Responsible Leadership Perspective

The way corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication relates to corporate reputation has attracted an increasing amount of attention from communication and business researchers and practitioners. To place our study in the context of CSR and employee communication, we proposed a CSR communication—motives—organizational identification—corporate reputation model. Data collected from an online Qualtrics survey (n = 811) supported all the proposed hypotheses linking informativeness and factual tone in CSR communication, employee-perceived intrinsic/other-serving motives of their organizations’ CSR activities, organizational identification, and corporate reputation. Specifically, informativeness and a factual tone in CSR communication were positively related to employee-perceived intrinsic/other-serving motives of their organizations’ CSR activities. Employee-perceived intrinsic/other-serving motives of their organizations’ CSR activities were positively associated with employee organizational identification. Employee organizational identification was positively related to corporate reputation. In addition, employee-perceived intrinsic/other-serving motives of their organizations’ CSR activities and employee organizational identification turned out to be two significant mediators in the proposed model between CSR communication and corporate reputation. We conducted a two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to analyze the collected data. The theoretical and practical implications of the study were discussed.

Corporations are subjected to high criticism due to the misuse of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication to shelter their wrongdoing in running business activities. Obtaining trust from the local communities will increase corporations’ chances to earn Social Licence to Operate (SLO). Although communication is typically a two-way process, in communication research, getting a response from the targeted personnel is much more valuable. However, extant studies provide insufficient understanding related to communicative framework in engaging with local communities. Current research trends in CSR communication are skewed towards the effects of CSR communication, legitimacy of CSR communication, as well as the challenges in carrying out CSR communication. In this study, the current model of communication which is based on the mechanistic perspective of communication is discussed and expanded. Three important communication elements are analysed, and their relationship is proposed to form a new conceptual framework that includes a fourth element: opinion leader. The suggested framework primarily describes and provides arguments for the extent of communication willingness in affecting communication commitment. The crux of this framework is communication quality; transpiring in three formative factors namely bi-directional communication, symmetrical information and transparency. This framework believes that investigating the role of opinion leader in moderating the success of CSR communication adds empirical insights in the emerging literature of CSR communication. The discussed framework could be implemented in understanding dialogue between corporations and local communities. Keywords: CSR communication, opinion leader, dialogue, communication quality, local community.

So far, no study has investigated determinants that shape corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in mission statements, as previous studies have focused on CSR reports and homepages. Our study, which is based on institutional theory, fills this gap. By conducting a directed content analysis of the statements of 200 listed companies in the United States and India, we examine the content conveyed with respect to 5 CSR dimensions, the 5 most prominent stakeholder groups, and additional components of CSR mission statements. Moreover, we examine whether Unted States and Indian companies' CSR communication varies according to their (a) home country, (b) industry affiliation, (c) degree of internationalization, (d) company size, (e) profitability, (f) founding year, (g) length of the CSR mission statement, and (h) compliance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative. Whereas the findings reveal that the companies' home country, degree of internationalization, and size have no considerable bearing on their CSR communication, we evidence that their communication can be explained by their industry affiliation, the profitability ratio return on assets, founding year, length of the statement, and compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. Moreover, we explain the cross‐country conformity of CSR communication by a convergence towards global and universal CSR communication approaches.

This study investigates the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication strategies via social media on corporate e-reputation in Nigeria. In an era where online platforms shape brand perception and consumer behavior, CSR communications have emerged as a vital tool for companies to engage with stakeholders, enhance transparency, and foster trust. The research employs an abductive methodology and systematic literature review (SLR), exploring CSR awareness, consumer responses, and behavioral shifts driven by CSR initiatives communicated on social media. Using online polls and Q&A sessions for data collection, the study analyzes the effectiveness of CSR strategies and their impact on consumer trust, loyalty, and purchasing decisions. Findings reveal that CSR communication through social media significantly enhances e-reputation, positively influencing brand loyalty and consumer perception. The study underscores the importance of transparent and engaging CSR communication in building a strong online reputation, and highlights how visual content, storytelling, and real-time updates can amplify CSR efforts. This research contributes to the understanding of the role of digital communication in shaping corporate e-reputation in Nigeria.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication has become a strategic tool for reputation management. This research presents a systematic literature review of research (2015–2024) between CSR communication and corporate reputation in the Chinese context. We followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines to identify 20 relevant peer-reviewed studies. The review addresses three key questions (1) the state of this research in terms of scope and trends, (2) the theoretical frameworks applied and the influence of Chinese cultural factors, and (3) the main findings on how CSR communication practices impact corporate reputation in China. Across studies, effective CSR communication – characterized by authenticity, transparency, and alignment with cultural values – is generally found to enhance corporate reputation by building stakeholder trust and identification. However, perceived motive hypocrisy or misalignment between talk and action can damage reputation. Notably, Chinese cultural norms and the media environment shape both communication strategies and stakeholder responses. Discuss how classic theories are affirmed or extended in the Chinese context, and provide an integrative framework linking CSR communication to reputation outcomes.

Despite growing scholarly attention to what determines effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, consumers’ limited awareness of and attention to CSR messages remain critical challenges for organizations. This study aims to examine the effects of message specificity on an organization’s intended outcomes of CSR communication and to explore the mediating role of perceived social distance in these relationships by applying construal level theory (CLT). We conducted an online experiment (n = 293), and the results revealed that message specificity had a positive impact on consumer-company identification, word-of-mouth intention, and CSR participation intention. Moreover, perceived social distance significantly mediated the relationships between message specificity and the outcomes of CSR communication. Applying CLT, this study offers theoretical implications for the psychological mechanism of how message specificity generates desired outcomes in CSR communication. In addition, we tested these mediation effects in the context of the geographic proximity (close vs. remote) of the CSR communication to participants; the practical implication is that reducing perceived social distance through message specificity is even more effective for geographically distant CSR campaigns.

This study examines determinants of retail chains’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication on their web pages. The theoretical foundation for the study is signaling theory, which suggests that firms will communicate about their CSR efforts when this is profitable for them and when such communication makes it possible for outsiders to distinguish good from bad performers. Based on this theory, I develop hypotheses about retail chains’ CSR signaling. The hypotheses are tested in a sample of 208 retail chains in the Norwegian market. As hypothesized, I find that foreign chains, chains using private brands, and vertically integrated chains are more likely to signal, but I find no relationship between pricing and signaling. In further analysis using chains’ CSR memberships and certifications as the measure of signals, only the relationship between organizational form and signaling is replicated. In total, the findings give partial support to signaling theory.

Too Cold to be Skeptical: How Ambient Temperature Moderates the Effects of CSR Communication

This article aims to analyze corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in today's health care systems. The authors investigate the importance of CSR communication and the use of both traditional and interactive technologies for healthcare CSR communication, adopting quantitative research methodologies. In order to understand different applications of the topic, the article examines and compares best practices regarding CSR communication between two extremely different countries and contexts: namely Malta and India. Results emphasize a growing attention on healthcare CSR communication in both countries. The key finding observed is that healthcare organizations are using a mixed strategy to communicate their CSR activities. Indeed, interactive technologies enable several advantages to organizations than traditional tools (such as better dialogue and interaction with different stakeholders, speed, low costs, easy access to information), as well as they require investments and costs in infrastructures and skills/competencies for their implementation.

This paper reviews the literature to understand the current state of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication. The authors analyze not only the importance of CSR communication for businesses but also review the literature that deals with both digital and traditional tools adopted for CSR communication. This is followed by a discussion on how today's businesses are more aware of the importance of communicating CSR to their stakeholders. Furthermore, the literature review attempts to investigate how businesses are implementing both digital and traditional tools in a complementary way for their CSR communication strategy.

Strategic communication is normatively goal‐oriented. Effectiveness is a main concern for strategic communication in any form, through any channel, and with any goal. A typical goal‐oriented communication is corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. CSR is a socially responsible behavior on its face. A simple inference is that corporations will benefit from communicating CSR. However, cases indicate that CSR communication can be a double‐edged sword. While it may generate the public's perception of positive corporate virtues, corporate CSR messages have proven to attract critical attention. A series of real cases have highlighted the need for a corporation to communicate CSR more effectively and sophisticatedly to its stakeholders. Learning to enhance the excellence of CSR communication has become an urgent topic for strategic corporate communication. Thus, can corporations save the world and themselves, too? The answer requires that the excellence of motive must align with CSR communication.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the quality and quantity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication made through company's website by the Indian and the multinational companies (MNCs) operating in the Information and Technology (IT) sector in India. Communication features pertaining to location, volume and type of CSR information were analysed. Parameters were developed to understand how scannable, readable and accessible the CSR information posted on the websites was. Both the Indian and the MNCs are not leveraging information technology optimally for the purpose of communicating CSR. The MNCs present CSR information more prominently and make better use of the multimedia technology. The study is limited to the top 100 companies operating in the IT sector in India in the year 2009. The results help us understand whether the companies operating in the IT sector are leveraging the technology advantage for the purpose of corporate communication or not.

The aim of this article was to identify the role and specific mechanisms of the stock exchange in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CSR communications among companies listed on the Romanian capital market given country membership of the European Union. Taking into account the quality of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE) as a member of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges, as well as BSE’s concerns about promoting CSR, a CSR index was built to capture the specific actions of companies listed on this market. The public companies were considered representative for the promotion of CSR based on their size and other relevant features. The index can be seen by companies that can further develop it, test its validity, and employ it as a tool to reassure investors who will decide to spend their money to buy shares and stocks of organizations ranked in the BSE.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the link between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication efforts of companies and their ability to obtain public procurement contracts.Design/methodology/approachThe authors are exploiting a database with the number of public procurement contracts won by SBF 120 companies in France and a constructed CSR index over the period of 2007–2015. The authors provide estimates of the amount of public contracts won by those companies.FindingsThe results suggest a striking influence of CSR communication on the ability of firms to win contracts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on the case of the SBF 120 companies under the French regulatory system and European directives, which are different from the obligations in North American countries. Second, our constructed CSR index may be too simplistic in nature, and its application is limited only to the French context. Third, we do not have any evidence about the efficiency of well-ranked firms in our study. CSR reporting is still considered to be a form of communication, even if formal, that can contain information that does not especially reflect reality, as the scandals of several companies have shown in recent years (e.g. Volkswagen, Eiffage, Enron).Practical implicationsCompanies should consider Business-to-Government (B-to-G) market when investing in CSR actions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first empirical studies measuring the impact of CSR on the ability of companies to win public contracts.

The tone of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication has become a critical strategic focus for firms in view of the growing stakeholder interest in how companies address environmental and social issues. This study examines how market competition influences a firm’s CSR communication positivity. Using insights from impression management literature and data from 1,559 CSR reports published by Fortune 1000 manufacturing firms between 2010 and 2020, our findings suggest that increasing market competition leads to a reduction in CSR communication positivity. Further, our findings also suggest that the negative impact of increasing market competition on CSR communication positivity is nuanced, in that it is less pronounced for firms with stronger financial and CSR performance. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.