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2018 | Buch

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Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities

Name: Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities
ISBN: 978-3-319-63479-1

An International Perspective towards Sustainability

herausgegeben von: Georgiana Grigore, Alin Stancu, Dr. David McQueen

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buchreihe : Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book explores conceptualizations of CSR and sustainability in the digital economy, focusing upon points of intersection between CSR and online communities. Reflecting on new areas of responsibility that organisations must face in a globalised economy, the contributions explore the ways CSR is being communicated, challenged and reshaped in a rapidly evolving online context. Up-to-date research from around the world shows how diverse communities, citizens and stakeholders are engaging with, and making demands on, organisations in novel ways that pay little respect to international borders. With online communities increasingly influencing the way in which business is carried out and perceived, the case studies explored here offer a useful indication of the variety of new developments and controversies that have emerged in the field of CSR. This book will appeal to postgraduate students and researchers of CSR and CSR communications, as well as communication, public relation and corporate responsibility practitioners.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities: An Introduction

Abstract

Digital platforms are becoming part of the mainstream media, and online communities are seen as providing contemporary business opportunities and challenges that emerge from engagement with a variety of stakeholders. Credible use of digital technology has become vital for businesses of all sizes, making this book timely as it provides a framework that deepens understanding of new corporate responsibilities resulting from engagement with digital technologies. Following the 2008 global financial crisis, governments and corporations have looked towards the digital economy to help restore growth, provide competitive advantage and achieve sustainability. Engagement with a broad range of audiences through new, interactive social media has proved challenging for many organisations, whether for-profit or otherwise, but has been particularly problematic for those organisations ill-prepared to respond to well-aimed criticism, or even anger from the general public. Thus the significance of this book, that not only expands knowledge on new and rapidly evolving areas of corporate responsibility, but which has a broader societal impact beyond academia.

Alin Stancu, Georgiana Grigore, David McQueen

Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities

Frontmatter

2. When Corporate Responsibility Meets Digital Technology: A Reflection on New Discourses

Abstract

References to the transformative aspects of digital technologies within academic corporate responsibility discourses have recently emerged, including discussion of interactive corporate social responsibility communication, of virtual corporate social responsibility dialogs and of corporate social responsibility in the network societies. In this chapter we reflect on such new discourses and suggest that the language they use and subsequent claims made may further fragment the field of corporate responsibility, and may ignore aspects of contemporary online cultures. We agree that there must be engagement between the extensive literature on online community, communication, and indeed power relations, and the work on CSR. We conclude this chapter with our own advice on how to go about researching and understanding how online community might be understood as important for the project of CSR.

Georgiana Grigore, Mike Molesworth, Francisca Farache

3. Complementarity and Interconnection Between CSR and Crowdfunding: A Case Study in Greece

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and crowdfunding are two concepts that have been affected through digitalization. Crowdfunding has emerged as an alternative form of financing that collects funds from the ‘crowd’ and channels them into various social causes or business projects. It provides opportunities that can radically change the traditional landscape of CSR. Companies can use crowdfunding when designing and implement their CSR strategies in various ways, such as increasing available funding, raising awareness and engagement, building communication channels with stakeholders and increasing marketing. This paper explores and discusses the emerging linkages, interconnections and complementarities between crowdfunding and CSR. It also highlights the importance of crowdfunding for the banking sector and presents the act4Greece donation/reward-based crowdfunding program, developed by a commercial banking institution in Greece, as a pioneering case study that incorporates crowdfunding in the bank’s CSR strategy.

Loukas Spanos

4. Turning a Deaf Ear to the Citizen’s Voice. Digital Activism and Corporate (Ir)responsibility in the North Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

Abstract

This chapter explores the impact of the #NoDAPL protest which began in 2016 against the construction of an underground oil pipeline from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to the Patoka Terminal in Illinois. The pipeline passes less than a mile from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and crosses disputed Sioux land. Protesters, led by Native Americans, have highlighted the danger of potential water contamination and the damage to sacred tribal sites. An alliance of native American Indians, environmentalists and others combined physical occupation and protests with digital activism to mount a strong challenge to the pipeline’s construction. Nevertheless, despite President Obama calling a temporary halt to the work, Energy Transfer Partners continued construction and following weeks of violence and an executive order by President Donald Trump in January 2017 the pipeline is now fully operational.

What contribution can corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholarship make to understanding the issues at stake here, especially in relation to the fossil fuel sector? How has the indigenous tribes’ experience of oil and gas exploration across the continent helped shape the unprecedented scale of support for the ongoing protests. Does the oil and gas industry bear responsibility for charges of ‘environmental racism’? To what extent is CSR in the energy sector impacted by the political system? Is the US government, as signatory to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), meeting its responsibilities to encourage sustainable corporate behaviour?

This chapter investigates the efforts of Native Americans and their supporters to be heard by the mainstream media and a political establishment wedded to continued fossil fuel use and infrastructure investment. It points to ongoing corporate social irresponsibility and failure to engage in meaningful dialogue with communities affected by the pipeline. It notes links to other social protest movements around the globe and the urgent need to move towards more sustainable and just energy systems.

David McQueen

5. Exploring Sense of Community within an Online Healthcare Context

Abstract

This paper argues that organisations considering corporate community involvement within online communities need to understanding how the notion of sense of community (SOC) is manifested and experienced in such contexts. The case of an online healthcare community hosted by a charitable institution in the UK is provided to illustrate and support this argument. The SOC construct as originally developed by McMillan and Chavis (1986) was adopted as a conceptual lens to explore experiences of members within an online forum. Data was mined from unstructured in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with eight participants who considered themselves as active members of this community. A thematic analysis generated three main themes which illustrated the four dimensions of COS as conceptualised by McMillan and Chavis (1986). Managerial implications for both community managers and CSR managers are discussed in light of these findings.

Tauheed Ramjaun

Corporate Responsibility Activities and Social Media

Frontmatter

6. #Sustainability on Twitter: Loose Ties and Green-Washing CSR

Abstract

This chapter questions and discusses Twitter’s role in enabling the formation of an international community of interest surrounding the sustainability hashtag. In doing so, the chapter also focuses on the characteristics of the hashtag community – its main actors and their connections – and the emerging discourses and themes associated with the hashtag as a way of discovering concerns, issues and key conceptual associations. The chapter will first discuss the concept of online communities, by briefly identifying the definitions associated with the concept and reviewing some of the studies applying it. It will then proceed to discuss sustainability and communication about sustainability online, linking this further with research undertaken about CSR, digital media and/or online communities. The chapter will then proceed to making the case for this study, presenting its methodology and findings and discussing their relevance. Exploring the hashtag network will enable readers to question and understand how Twitter communities work. The discursive exploration of the sustainability messages allows the readers to identify this community’s understanding of sustainability by identifying the most frequent associations with the concept.

Ana Adi

7. Helping the World One ‘Like’ at a Time: The Rise of the Slacktivist

Abstract

Much like the corporate sector, the charity and non-profit sector has adopted social media as one of their core engagement and fundraising tools. The online community has great power and has worked well for many brands; however, the extent to which this is benefitting the third sector is debatable. Is liking a non-profit organization on Facebook equal to donating money or running a marathon? A consumer’s online interaction with a charity, e.g. liking or sharing social media content and pages, is sometimes referred to as ‘slacktivism’. To date, studies on ‘slacktivist’ behavior in the social media context are limited to few conceptual papers. This study provides empirical insights into motivations and interactions of social media users towards non-profit and charity-related social media campaigns.

Freya Samuelson-Cramp, Elvira Bolat

8. CSR Communications on Twitter: An Exploration into Stakeholder Reactions

Abstract

The chapter explores CSR communications on Twitter and examines stakeholder reactions to the communication approaches of global food and beverage brands. The purpose is to gain insights into how companies communicate CSR on Twitter and how stakeholders perceive such approaches. Over 3000 Tweets from three companies and their stakeholders were collected using purposive sampling and coded using content analysis. The analysis revealed that a higher CSR ranking (Global CSR RepTrak 100) is an indicator of a higher amount of CSR communications. Findings suggest that product-related initiatives are well received by stakeholders and that there is a desire for more communication about the responsibility of products. The study contributes to the academic literature as it found that none of the companies were seen to have a two-way symmetrical dialogue approach, instead that companies are using a selective-dialogue approach when communicating on Twitter. The paper concludes that a more open dialogic approach to CSR communications on Twitter is not only better perceived than broadcast type communication by stakeholders, but that using stakeholder insights from this platform can aid companies in making strategic CSR decisions.

Francisca Farache, Isobel Tetchner, Jana Kollat

9. The Case of Thessaloniki’s Branding: Constructing Social Networking and CSR in the Digital Era

Abstract

2012 was a celebratory year for Thessaloniki, Greece, mother land of Alexander the Great, marking 100 years since its liberation. In 2012, the municipality of Thessaloniki initiated an international sustainable development (SD) strategy. Part of this strategy was to launch a branding campaign with four thematic categories: (i) history; (ii) social activities and culture; (iii) environment and urban landscape and (iv) entrepreneurship. This chapter presents and critically analyzes these ongoing social, environmental and economic factors of Thessaloniki’s SD strategy. Maintaining as a focal point social responsibility (SR) and social networking this paper reveals the importance of innovative services in digital communication and social networking when branding a city’s profile. It presents the role of SR in branding and networking, and it outlines how Thessaloniki and its stakeholders are engaging, encountering and exploring digital and social profile potentials as well as the opportunities and perspectives for the years to come.

Fragkoulis A. Papagiannis, Seng Kiat Kok, Zenon Michaelides

Corporate Responsibility in the Digital Economy: Global Challenges

Frontmatter

10. The Role of the Private Sector in Global Sustainable Development: The UN 2030 Agenda

Abstract

Approved by the UN General Assembly on 25th September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, explicitly invoking the need for joint action among the institutional and business spheres along with civil society, challenge the business world to review its strategic and operational decisions in order to seize the opportunities that can result from a concrete commitment to the promotion of a new development model based on the paradigms of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Business leaders have declared that they are ready to accept the mandate to act as global development actors and have already started to work on this direction. Nevertheless, in order to succeed, several extremely important challenges have to be faced. In this chapter, we explore the role of the private sector in shaping the 2030 Agenda, focusing on challenges and opportunities for business in playing its role of development actor.

Marco Frey, Alessia Sabbatino

11. The Role of CSR Communication in Master’s Degree Curricula Throughout Europe: Universities’ Roles as Digital Communities in Preparing Students for Future Challenges

Abstract

Concerns for social and environmental engagements on behalf of businesses are on the rise globally; as a result, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved from an obligation (‘doing good to look good’) to a strategy (‘doing well and doing good’) (Nussbaum 2009). Moreover, CSR communication has to be made part of companies’ strategy Hence, skills related to their proper handling in the digital work- and marketplace need to be imparted by educational institutions. Universities are herein perceived as digital communities as they increasingly connect with their stakeholders via the Internet, where they also distribute information on their academic programs. The study at hand is concerned with analyzing the extent to which post-secondary educational institutions in 22 countries have started to integrate aspects of social and environmental communication into their Master’s degree programs. Online content of programs from various academic disciplines and subject areas was investigated by use of a qualitative analysis. The study of CSR (communication) outlined herein attempts to carve out the current status of CSR in education across national borders before offering suggestions for future development to universities in their roles as digital communities.

Isabell Koinig, Franzisca Weder, Sandra Diehl, Matthias Karmasin

12. License to Kill: Examining Licensing Effect in the Context of Corporate Social Responsibility and Tax Reporting from the Consumers’ Perspective

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities may license unethical tax reporting behavior. By applying the Legitimacy Theory as a framework, this study examined the licensing effect from the consumer’s perspective, exploring whether consumers assume that a company known to invest in CSR activities would engage in aggressive tax avoidance practices. To this end, 331 college students rated their perceptions of major companies drawn from various sectors, regarding their CSR engagements and their tax avoidance practices. Findings demonstrated that consumers perceived companies to be more aggressive in tax avoidance practices when these companies were rated high in investment in extrinsic CSR (environmental protection and community relations). This effect was not found for intrinsic CSR (corporate governance, working environment and business ethics).

Anat Toder-Alon, Tali Te’eni-Harari, Estery Giloz, Eyal Rosenstreich

13. CSR in Pakistan: The Case of the Khaadi Controversy

Abstract

Pakistan, a developing country, is in the process of making its mark on the global CSR map despite various hurdles. Recently ‘Khaadi’ an apparel brand has faced an online backlash over their poor CSR practices in the country through a relatively small social media campaign supporting the rights of workers. Despite ‘low’ ranking in internet penetration (World Bank, World Bank Annual Report. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/.../WBAnnualReport2015EN.pdf, 2015), this is a unique case which has brought the matter of CSR in the garment industry back to the limelight after the infamous ‘Iqbal Masih’ case in 1990s. This study therefore aims to investigate the factors behind weak CSR practices in Pakistan from the stakeholders’ perspective and will propose some recommendations to overcome the challenges.

Samreen Ashraf

Backmatter

Titel: Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities
herausgegeben von: Georgiana Grigore
Alin Stancu
Dr. David McQueen
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-63480-7
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63479-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63480-7

Springer Professional

Über dieses Buch

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities: An Introduction

Corporate Responsibility and Digital Communities

Frontmatter

2. When Corporate Responsibility Meets Digital Technology: A Reflection on New Discourses

3. Complementarity and Interconnection Between CSR and Crowdfunding: A Case Study in Greece

4. Turning a Deaf Ear to the Citizen’s Voice. Digital Activism and Corporate (Ir)responsibility in the North Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

5. Exploring Sense of Community within an Online Healthcare Context

Corporate Responsibility Activities and Social Media

Frontmatter

6. #Sustainability on Twitter: Loose Ties and Green-Washing CSR

7. Helping the World One ‘Like’ at a Time: The Rise of the Slacktivist

8. CSR Communications on Twitter: An Exploration into Stakeholder Reactions

9. The Case of Thessaloniki’s Branding: Constructing Social Networking and CSR in the Digital Era

Corporate Responsibility in the Digital Economy: Global Challenges

Frontmatter

10. The Role of the Private Sector in Global Sustainable Development: The UN 2030 Agenda

11. The Role of CSR Communication in Master’s Degree Curricula Throughout Europe: Universities’ Roles as Digital Communities in Preparing Students for Future Challenges

12. License to Kill: Examining Licensing Effect in the Context of Corporate Social Responsibility and Tax Reporting from the Consumers’ Perspective

13. CSR in Pakistan: The Case of the Khaadi Controversy

Backmatter

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