Corporate Social Responsibility Plans and Communications Strategy - Literature review Example

Business Communications Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility: Communications for Ethical Businesses Communicating the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda and outcomes is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it cuts out the notion that the organisation does not care for its employees, customers, and communities where it operates. On the other hand, it may be seen as a way of hiding something unethical or illegal, or as a mere ploy for superficial goodwill. This essay believes that CSR communications is decisive in expressing the sincerity of the company in attaining CSR goals, particularly when it is designed for particular audiences to generate emotional, cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioural changes. Sensemaking is a useful framework in understanding and improving communication processes and will be used in this essay. An integrated business communications strategy with a sensemaking and stakeholder theory perspective can effectively express clear CSR goals, processes, and rules to diverse stakeholders that can result to long-term CSR achievements. A CSR communications strategy provides the potential to generate stakeholder participation, which can yield the discussion, production, and dissemination of meaningful ethical norms and practices. Sensemaking enables different stakeholder groups to openly and comprehensively discuss CSR issues and problems. Stakeholders refer to anyone who will be/are affected by the organisation’s goals and actions (Morsing & Schultz, 2006, p.324). Sensemaking allows stakeholders to “make sense of things in organisations while in conversation with others, while reading communications from others, while exchanging ideas with others” (Morsing & Schultz, 2006, p.323). Sensemaking expands ways of thinking and doing through collaboration and questioning groupthink processes. Moreover, despite apprehension for CSR intentions, Ihlen, Bartlett, and May (2011) asserted that companies must exert full effort in expressing CSR intentions because it can engender stakeholder participation. They noted that communication theory offers models for stakeholder involvement and collaboration, including those that deal with conflict and yet build consensus (Ihlen et al, 2011, p.12). Recognising that companies have self-interests and finding ways to balance that with stakeholder interests are integral to the communication process. Aside from sensemaking, stakeholder theory can improve stakeholder participation. CSR communications treat stakeholders as value-producing in the long run, where value includes financial and social aspects (Morsing & Schultz, 2006, p.324). CSR concerns the critical balance between financial and non-financial goals of organisations. In a Wall Street Journal news article, Delaney (2008) described Google’s hybrid profit/non-profit business model. Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, uses its corporate resources to attain non-profit endeavours: “... efforts to create systems to help predict and prevent disease pandemics, to empower the poor with information about public services and to create jobs by investing in small- and mid-size businesses in the developing world” (Delaney, 2008, p.B1). By expressing its specific aims and projects, Google.org gains publicity, which can enable stakeholders to interact with it more clearly and proactively regarding its CSR actions. CSR communications can be used to generate important stakeholder discussions and interactions for the promotion and production of CSR efforts. To discuss channels and content of business communications for CSR further, a multimedia approach is necessary because the right communication tools can vary across stakeholder groups and their accessible resources and specific contexts. In the book chapter, “The Paradoxes of Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility,” Waddock and Googins (2011) emphasised the role of trust in effective CSR communications. They recommended that the core values of CSR must be integrated in the company and all components of performance, in order for CSR to have an authentic value to stakeholders (Waddock & Googins, 2011, p.27). CSR should not consist of a code of ethics alone, but an integrated approach to “living” social responsibility through actual human management resource plans, systems, processes, and rules. Apart from integrated CSR approaches, multimedia channels may be necessary for stakeholders who have different technology access and resources. One of the important aspects of CSR practices concerns effective and transparent communication channels with internal and external stakeholders. Tehemar (2012) discussed in his Internet article that different communication channels may be appropriate for different stakeholders. He noted: “Whether it is through representation on external committees or through a carefully planned social media presence, utilisation of multiple channels to position your CSR message is paramount for the success of your CSR program” (Tehemar, 2012, par.9). Employees may require both face-to-face and group level interactions, while community members may prefer face-to-face communication. Organisations must use the right channels to effectively reach their audiences. Finally, audience-centred content is more effective than mass-based content. The content must appeal to the specific group/individual needs and language levels of target audiences, so that they can feel the sincerity of the company’s intentions and find a direct relationship between the company’s CSR and their interests (Tehemar, 2012, par.6-8). Realistic goals with reports on incremental changes and achievements can help concretise the gains of CSR efforts too (Barner, 2007, p.60). In an inspiring video clip in TED, Google’s Tan (2010) stressed the role of compassion in “doing good” inside organisations. He underscored that compassion that is fun for all, including managers with profit intentions, can be a realistic way of promoting goodwill in organisations. Hence, responsiveness to audience needs and idiosyncrasies is central to effective and meaningful CSR communications. Business communication principles can be effectively applied to produce a more effective CSR program. Organisations must develop a CSR communications strategy that it can implement as part of its performance measures, thereby stimulating organisational cultural changes, where appropriate. CSR should not be lip service, but be embedded in how organisations do their business and how they report their goals and achievements. This essay recommended an integrated business communications strategy with a sensemaking and stakeholder theory perspective because it can effectively express clear CSR goals, processes, and rules to diverse stakeholders, which can help determine realistic CSR endeavours, and which can be used to attain long-term CSR achievements. Companies that work with their stakeholders are more likely to create relevant CSR plans and CSR communications strategy that ring with authenticity when expressed to target stakeholders. References Barner, M. (2007). Be a socially responsible corporation. Harvard Business Review, 85(7/8), 59-60. Delaney, K.J. (2008, January 18). Google: From Dont Be Evil to How to Do Good. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, 251(15), B1-B2. Ihlen, O., Bartlett, J., & May, S. (2011). Corporate social responsibility and communication. In O. Ihlen, J. Bartlett, & S. May (Eds.), The handbook of communication and corporate social responsibility (pp.16-22). United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. Morsing, M., & Schultz, M. (2006). Corporate social responsibility communication: Stakeholder information, response and involvement strategies. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(4), 323-338. Retrieved from http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/seagrant/ClimateChangeWhiteboard/Resources/Uncertainty/climatech/morsing06PR.pdf Tan, C. (2010). Chade-Meng Tan: Everyday compassion at Google. TED. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chade_meng_tan_everyday_compassion_at_google.html Tehemar, S. (2012, May 28). How to create an effective CSR communication model. Sustainable Business Forum. Retrieved from http://sustainablebusinessforum.com/drtehemar/58173/how-create-effective-csr-communication-model Waddock, S., & Googins, B.K. (2011). The paradoxes of communicating corporate social responsibility. In O. Ihlen, J. Bartlett, & S. May (Eds.), The handbook of communication and corporate social responsibility (pp.23-43). United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. Read More