The State of CSR Communication Research: A Summary and Future

Direction
Denise Sevick Bortree, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

This article introduces the special issue of Public Relations Journal on corporate social
responsibility communication sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Center. Effective CSR
communication is built on knowledge of audience interests and expectations, optimal
channels of communication, impacts of communication on publics, and ethical practices
for communicating information. The article discusses past and current practices of CSR
communication as well as future trends for research and communication. It then
introduces the four research articles in the issue which address timely and important
issues of CSR communication.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, sustainability, public relations, CSR

communication, Arthur W. Page Center

INTRODUCTION

From global corporations to local businesses, companies around the world are
communicating about corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to try to educate
stakeholders about their contributions to society and the environment. From JetBlue
promoting its Soar with Reading project, to Pedigree raising money to feed sheltered
dogs, to Patagonia giving grants for environmental programs, the topics and methods of
communication vary widely. Some companies appear to be strategic in their
development and communication of CSR programs, and others appear to choose an
“anything goes” approach to communication and program development. Research
suggests that building a successful CSR communication means answering many
questions including, what kind of information do individuals want to know about CSR
initiatives, what are the best ways to reach audiences with CSR information, and what
impact does communication of CSR programs have on audiences? These are questions
that both the professional field and academic world are working to answer.

The Arthur W. Page Center recently commissioned 10 studies on this topic, and some
of the best work resulting from the research is presented here. This special issue on

To cite this article

Bortree, D.S. (2014). The State of CSR Communication Research: A Summary and Future Direction. Public Relations Journal, 8(3).
Available online: http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/PRJournal/Vol8/No3/
Bortree The State of CSR Communication Research

corporate social responsibility communication attempts to answer questions about CSR

through surveys, experiments, and content analysis studies of corporate communication
and public responses to it. The results help clarify who is looking for CSR information
and how they wish to receive it, but the findings also raise more questions about the
importance of ethics in the presentation of CSR information.
This introductory article explores the purpose of CSR communication and offers future
trends for study, as background for the articles published in this issue. It then
summarizes the four research articles and explains their value to our knowledge of the
field.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Corporate social responsibility as a business practice includes addressing legal, ethical,

and economic responsibilities of an organization in relationship to key stakeholders and
society (Carroll, 1979, 1999; Garriga & Melé, 2004; Maignan & Ferrell, 2004)). Falck
and Heblich (2007) define CSR as “a voluntary corporate commitment to exceed the
explicit and implicit obligations imposed on a company by society’s expectations of
conventional corporate behavior” (p. 247). CSR practices are often understood to be
discretionary acts by organizations to give back to communities and societies that have
supported them (Kotler & Lee, 2005). Although social responsibility by a company can
have a positive impact in its bottom line (Joyner & Payne, 2002), CSR actions are
primarily considered to be ethical because of their positive impact on employees,
communities, the environment, and society.

CSR programs can take on many forms including philanthropy, corporate social
advocacy, partnerships with advocacy groups, and sustainable business practices
(Kotler & Lee, 2005). A recent study by Cone (2013) found that CSR has become more
than a good strategy for business; it is now considered an expectation of business by
the public. And, the issues that companies are expected to take on are increasingly
complex, including social political issues and environmental problems.

CSR COMMUNICATION

It has long been known that corporate social responsibility communication is a critical
part of effective CSR (Manheim & Pratt, 1986). Research has found that communication
about CSR can lead to stronger relationships with publics (Hall, 2006), greater
legitimacy (Du & Vieira, 2012), and more positive attitudes among stakeholders (Du,
Bhattacharya, & Sen, 2010). At the same time, CSR activities can lead to skepticism,
but how companies communicate their CSR activities may determine the degree to
which the public accepts the programs as legitimate (Kim, in press).

The public’s beliefs about corporate contributions to society are not particularly
encouraging. Cone (2013) shared the following key findings from its study:

 “22% of consumers believe companies have made significant positive impact on

social and environmental issues

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Bortree The State of CSR Communication Research

 27% believes consumers themselves can have significant positive impact through
their purchases”

This is the environment in which companies communicate today. Consumers appear to

be skeptical about corporate claims of “doing good” for society and the environment.
The challenge will be overcoming objectives and finding ways to connect CSR initiatives
in a meaningful way with the interests of society. A look at the past and future of CSR
communication offers some insights.

HISTORY AND FUTURE OF CSR COMMUNICATION

In the early days, communicators struggled to make a case for communicating

corporate social responsibility (Manheim & Pratt, 1986) and to identify the role of public
relations in it (Heath & Ryan, 1989). Later, communication research examined how CSR
can make an important contribution to corporate reputation (Lewis, 2003), and the focus
slowly evolved from one-way communication that framed messages and primed
audiences to two-way communication that engaged with them (Bartlett, Tywoniak, &
Hatcher, 2007; Dawkins, 2004; Morsing & Schultz, 2006; Wang, 2007).

As we move into the next phase of research and practice about CSR communication,
corporate communications practitioners need to build a case for more sophisticated
CSR communication (Chaudhri, 2014). This will come in part as companies begin to
track and share the value of their programs for the audiences they serve and the
ecological settings in which they do business, rather than focus on the benefits that the
programs bring to the organization.

Another focus for future research and practice should be global CSR communication.
To date, most studies have examined communication in only one culture or country.
Future studies will need to look at cross-cultural application of CSR and differences in
CSR communication across borders. As more companies work in multiple regions of the
world, we need to gain a deeper understanding of global corporate social responsibility
communication. Early calls for this focused on CSR reporting (Golob & Bartlett, 2007),
but the need is broad, and it is particularly important in emerging economies, where
CSR is still burgeoning (Amaladoss & Manohar, 2013; Chaudhri & Wang, 2007).

And, finally, CSR communication will need to adjust to the trend toward sustainability as
a key business strategy. Communicators should consider the way CSR and
sustainability communication are coming together and changing the focus of CSR
programs (Bortree, 2011). The increased importance of doing business today in a way
that ensures the future of the organization will impact the way CSR programs are
created, implemented, and communicated.

Considering these issues and future trends, the following section summarizes the
research reports found in this special issue on CSR communication and identifies that
value that each bring.

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Bortree The State of CSR Communication Research

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH REPORTS

The first research article, written by Sora Kim and Mary Ann Ferguson, takes on some
of the core questions about how and what to communicate about CSR. The research
identifies the demographics of key audiences for CSR information as well as the types
of information that audiences seek. The article, titled “Public Expectations of CSR
Communication: What and How to Communicate CSR”, also offers accessible
information about where people seek CSR information and who they trust to deliver the
information. In the end, the article offers a roadmap to companies for developing and
delivering CSR information in a strategic way. Its rigorous methodology and practical
application make it extremely useful for the public relations field.

The second article notes that companies are beginning to use their public platforms to
make statements on societal issues, such as gay marriage, abortion, gun control, and
others. What are the consequences for companies who take a stand on one side of the
debate? Melissa Dodd and Dustin Supa, in their article “Conceptualizing and Measuring
‘Corporate Social Advocacy’ Communication: Examining the Impact on Corporate
Financial Performance” illustrate the consequences of taking a stand when not all
members of your publics agree with you. Through a series of experiments, they find
potential financial impact for companies who make public statements of this type, but
that is only part of the story. This article introduces new concepts and finds a way to
measure the impact of a phenomenon that we have seen play out publicly in the media.

The third article takes on the tricky topic of CSR for nonprofit organizations. In an
interesting study that interviewed nonprofit communication professionals, Richard
Waters and Holly Ott explored the opinions and experiences of nonprofit organizations
with social responsibility initiatives. The article, titled “Corporate Social Responsibility
and the Nonprofit Sector: Assessing the Thoughts and Practices across Three Nonprofit
Subsectors”, questions whether CSR exists in the nonprofit sector, and, if so, how do
the nonprofits handle CSR for themselves? The article identifies the challenges that
nonprofits face when raising awareness of their own responsible actions, when the
issues are not related to their mission. The study also explores the term 'corporate
social responsibility' within the non-profit sector and finds that study participants express
some discomfort with the term. The authors acknowledged that a new term may be
needed, a finding that some may question. In the end, the study identifies important
issues that nonprofits will need to address as society increasingly scrutinizes the social
and environmental responsibility of organizations.

The final article, titled “How Corporations Manage Industry and Consumer Expectations
via the CSR Report”, advances important questions about the ethics of framing
corporate social responsibility material. The study begins with a content analysis that
examines the substance of CSR reports and raises concerns about how companies are
presenting their activities. It follows with a survey of audiences to find the degree to
which content matches public expectations. The places in which companies’
communication matches (and doesn’t match) the needs and interests of publics

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provides insights into both the need for more transparency but also the push from
publics to focus on societal good.

Together, the articles range from practical application to philosophical analysis and
along the way they cover new ground and help clarify some of what we already know.
The final product is an excellent combination of topics that can help the profession in
relevant and useful ways. I was pleased to edit this special issue, and I appreciate the
hard work of the authors and the assistance of Public Relations Journal editor, Rob
Wakefield, and Randi Mason of PRSA.

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Journal of Public Relations Research, 19(2), 123-145.

DENISE SEVICK BORTREE, PH.D., is an associate professor in the College of

Communications at the Pennsylvania State University, the director of the Arthur W.
Page Center, the head of the PR division of AEJMC and the chair of the
Association/Nonprofit Section of PRSA. Email: dsb177[AT]psu.edu

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