Communicating corporate LGBTQ advocacy: A computational comparison of the global CSR discourse

Corporations are increasingly engaging in political and social issues through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, in contentious areas such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) advocacy. This article systematically, comparatively, and computationally examines this intersection, and contributes to the literature by 1) examining the global LGBTQ CSR discourse constructed by Fortune Global 500 companies (136,820 words) with semantic network analysis and structural topic modeling, 2) surveying non-profit organizations’ guidelines and comparing corporate values with them, and 3) exploring how stakeholder expectations and institutional factors influence CSR communication. Results indicate 6 corporate topics and 9 non-proﬁt topics, which were explicated by referencing organizations’ original writing. It is further shown that stakeholder expectations and institutional factors not only affect whether organizations report LGBTQ efforts, but also affect what topics these companies highlight in their CSR communication. Companies in democratic countries with substantial stakeholder expectations emphasize areas that need high investment and exceed legal obligations.

Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Responding to Investors’ Criticism on Social Media

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7396

Author(s):

Yuming Zhang ◽

Fan Yang

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Social Issues ◽

Media Criticism ◽

Csr Communication ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Csr Disclosure ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Impact

Companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures to communicate their social and environmental policies, practices, and performance to stakeholders. Although the determinants and outcomes of CSR activities are well understood, we know little about how companies use CSR communication to manage a crisis. The few relevant CSR studies have focused on the pressure on corporations exerted by governments, customers, the media, or the public. Although investors have a significant influence on firm value, this stakeholder group has been neglected in research on CSR disclosure. Grounded in legitimacy theory and agency theory, this study uses a sample of Chinese public companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to investigate CSR disclosure in response to social media criticism posted by investors. The empirical findings show that investors’ social media criticism not only motivates companies to disclose their CSR activities but also increases the substantiveness of their CSR reports, demonstrating that companies’ CSR communication in response to a crisis is substantive rather than merely symbolic. We also find that the impact of social media criticism on CSR disclosure is heterogeneous. Non-state-owned enterprises, companies in regions with high levels of environmental regulations, and companies in regions with local government concern about social issues are most likely to disclose CSR information and report substantive CSR activities. We provide an in-depth analysis of corporate CSR strategies for crisis management and show that crises initiated by investors on social media provide opportunities for corporations to improve their CSR engagement.

Apparel firms’ corporate social responsibility communications

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics ◽

10.1108/apjml-07-2015-0115 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 37-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Hongjoo Woo ◽

Byoungho Jin

Keyword(s):

Social Responsibility ◽

Social Issues ◽

Content Type ◽

Csr Communication ◽

Study Approach ◽

Csr Reporting ◽

The Usa ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

Purpose – Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication is a strategy to address companies’ goodwill to the society. Based on the institutional theory suggesting the influence of environmental factors of companies’ country-of-origins on their marketing practices, the purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the CSR communication practices of apparel firms from different countries. Design/methodology/approach – As a case study approach, this study investigates six apparel firms’ CSR communication disclosures on the official websites using a content analysis method and the Global Reporting Initiative’s categorial CSR reporting guidelines. Findings – Findings revealed that the six firms’ CSR communication adoption levels and focusses varied; the USA firms largely focussed on labor issues, while the European firms focussed on environmental issues and the Asian firms centered on social issues. Research limitations/implications – Although this study has limitations that pertain to case studies in general, this study provides academic contributions to the literature and managerial implications about different CSR focusses and communication activities across countries. Originality/value – CSR is especially important for the apparel business that highly involves social issues such as labor-intensive production. However, limited research showed how apparel firms are actually communicating CSR. This study was one of the early attempts on this topic.

Sustainable developments and corporate social responsibility in Vietnamese fashion enterprises

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management ◽

10.1108/jfmm-07-2020-0148 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Rajkishore Nayak ◽

Long Nguyen Van Thang ◽

Tu Nguyen ◽

Julia Gaimster ◽

Rebecca Morris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Responsibility ◽

Social Issues ◽

Content Type ◽

Design Concepts ◽

Welfare Benefits ◽

Study Approach ◽

Legal Obligations ◽

The Status ◽

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the status of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in fashion enterprises in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is qualitative in nature and utilized a multiple case study approach (questionnaires and face-to-face interviews) to achieve the objectives of the research. NVivo was used to analyze the data.FindingsFindings showed that by collaborating with the local artisans to create the unique clothing lines, the fashion brands try to blend and upscale the traditional indigenous clothing styles with modern design concepts to promote the diversity of Vietnamese ethnic culture. The findings also suggest that both the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises (LEs) should maintain their corporate social responsibility (CSR) concepts to comply with the legal obligations such as salary and welfare benefits for employees, work safety, gender equality and promotions. Further, the CSR activities should address the social issues with their target stakeholders, particularly with the local communities.Originality/valueThis study sought to provide a snapshot on the current sustainable practices followed in Vietnamese fashion enterprises.

CSR Communication and Environmental Issue Networks in Virtual Space: A Cross-National Study

Business & Society ◽

10.1177/0007650318763565 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 59 (6) ◽

pp. 1079-1109 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Aimei Yang ◽

Wenlin Liu

Keyword(s):

Social Issues ◽

Virtual Space ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

National Study ◽

Csr Communication ◽

Issue Networks ◽

Current Article ◽

Corporate Social ◽

Cross National Study ◽

Cross National

Nowadays, a significant portion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication takes place online. The current article attends to an essential, yet often overlooked element of online CSR communication: cross-sectoral hyperlink networks. The article argues that corporations build cross-sectoral hyperlink networks with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as a form of CSR communication to manage social issues. Using social network analysis, this article analyzes the hyperlink network data between 136 corporations and 94 international NGOs. Findings show that corporations’ cross-sectoral ties serve as a communication strategy to respond to salient issues and manage issues that are relevant to these corporations. NGOs’ tenure and network dynamics are also found to significantly affect the number of cross-sectoral ties built with corporations.

Exploring Variations in Corporations’ Communication After a CA Versus CSR Crisis: A Semantic Network Analysis of Sustainability Reports

International Journal of Business Communication ◽

10.1177/2329488420907148 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 232948842090714

Author(s):

Keonyoung Park ◽

Hyejin Kim ◽

Hyejoon Rim

Keyword(s):

Social Issues ◽

Semantic Network ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Semantic Network Analysis ◽

Network Analyses ◽

Before And After ◽

Corporate Ability ◽

Sustainability Reports ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Relationship

The study attempts to understand corporations’ efforts to communicate their values and commitment to stakeholders after a crisis. Specifically, the study explores the characteristics of communication efforts that may differ depending on the reputational crisis types: corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) crises. Employing a series of semantic network analyses, the study examined the sustainability annual reports of two Korean airlines (i.e., Korean Air and Asiana Airlines) published before and after their recent crises. Results showed how sustainability reports’ central keywords, social issues the companies support, and prioritized stakeholders varied in response to the different types of crises. Word frequency results showed that there was an increasing trend in emphasizing the word “safety” after both types of crisis, while a noticeable decrease in emphasis on the word “ethics” was observed after CA crisis. The results of semantic network analyses showed that Korean Air’s sustainability reports seemed to focus more on aspects of the relationship with stakeholders after the CSR crisis, while Asiana Airlines appeared to place more emphasis on business-related notions after the CA crisis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Social media and CSR communication in European ports: the case of Twitter at the Port of Rotterdam

Maritime Business Review ◽

10.1108/mabr-03-2021-0020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Vitellaro ◽

Giovanni Satta ◽

Francesco Parola ◽

Nicoletta Buratti

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Social Issues ◽

Field Research ◽

Maritime Logistics ◽

Content Type ◽

Csr Communication ◽

Twitter Account ◽

Use Of Social Media ◽

PurposeThe research objective of the paper is twofold. First, it scrutinises the current state of the art concerning adopting the most popular social media by European port managing bodies (PMBs). Second, it investigates the use of social media in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategies of European PMBs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper carries out online field research on the use of social media by the top-25 European ports. Then, it provides an in-depth case study of the use of Twitter by the Port of Rotterdam for CSR communication. Finally, a content analysis of the tweets published in the 2017–2019 timeframe is performed.FindingsEmpirical results demonstrate the extensive use of social media by European PMBs to reach a wider array of stakeholders. Uneven approaches emerge considering port sizes and cultural clusters. The content analysis shows that one-third of tweets published by the Twitter account of the Port of Rotterdam address CSR issues, especially green initiatives, advocating the use of social media to communicate CSR.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the European domain. A broader sample of ports worldwide should be examined to further investigate the drivers affecting PMBs' strategic adoption and use of social media, mainly to communicate CSR.Practical implicationsThe paper provides port managers with insights to strengthen CSR communication. Given the increasing pressure of the public opinion on environmental and social issues, the ability of European PMBs to communicate their CSR commitment through social media represents a key driver when searching for consensus of stakeholders and “licence to operate”.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the existing maritime logistics literature by introducing a promising field of research.

Combining Paid Work and Eldercare in the Netherlands in the Practice of Selected Dutch Organizations

Olsztyn Economic Journal ◽

10.31648/oej.4372 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 255-270

Author(s):

Agnieszka Furmańska-Maruszak ◽

Susanne Heeger-Hertter

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Institutional Factors ◽

Paid Work ◽

Public And Private ◽

Non Profit ◽

For Profit ◽

Flexible Working ◽

Self Interest ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Relationship

The possibility to balance work and eldercare in the Netherlands is determined by legal and institutional factors (such as special employment entitlements for a career in the form of leaves and a flexible working arrangement). In our paper we compare the Dutch legislation in this field with the HRM practice of four Dutch public and private (non-profit and for-profit) organizations. The aim is to check what kind of workplace eldercare assistance is provided by the organizations and what forms are applied due to legal regulations and what goes beyond these regulations and why. The results show that the relationship between employer and employee is based on mutual trust. Dutch employers are – as far as circumstances permit – more generous in practice than the specific legislation requires, mainly due to the minimum rights in the legislation. A reason for the generosity is self-interest. The Dutch regulation of sick pay can be seen as an incentive to prevent sickness as it obliges employers to continue paying the wages during sickness for a long period. Moreover, they want to build loyalty and motivation among their employees by developing a formof corporate social responsibility.

CSR@ 2%: A NEW MODEL OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN INDIA

American Journal of Economics and Business Management ◽

10.31150/ajebm.vol1.iss3.31 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 56-66

Author(s):

Anupam Singh ◽

Dr. Priyanka Verma

Keyword(s):

Social Responsibility ◽

Corporate Philanthropy ◽

Social Issues ◽

Business Community ◽

Net Worth ◽

The Social ◽

Net Profit ◽

Corporate Social ◽

Indian Scenario

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) earlier applied as corporate philanthropy and has been in practice in India since ages. However, philanthropy in globalised and modern India does not solve the purpose in quantity and quality. Clause 135 of Company Act 2013 created huge hue and cry among the business community in India. As per clause 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, Every company with an annual turnover of 1,000 crore INR ($161 million) and more, or a net worth of 500 crore INR ($80 million) and more, or a net profit as low as five crore INR ($800,000) and more have to spend at least 2% of their average net profit over the previous three years on CSR activities. With the introduction of new Company act 2013 India became the first country in the world to have legislation for compulsory CSR spending. The paper aims at analyzing the motive of making CSR spending mandatory and it also attempts to explain the concept of CSR in the present Indian scenario, the social issues addressed by the Indian corporations, and methodologies adopted by them to address those issues.

A Special-Purpose Taxonomy of Corporate Social Performance Concepts

Accounting and the Public Interest ◽

10.2308/api.2001.1.1.42 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 42-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Brett A. Stone

Keyword(s):

Mutual Fund ◽

Corporate Social Performance ◽

Social Issues ◽

Social Performance ◽

Socially Responsible ◽

Fund Managers ◽

Responsible Investing ◽

Research Areas ◽

Socially Responsible Mutual Funds ◽

The first iteration of a nonstatic special-purpose taxonomy of corporate social performance concepts is developed from a mailed, self-administered survey completed by managers of U.S. socially responsible mutual funds. The study combines the traditionally disparate research areas of Corporate Social Performance and Socially Responsible Investing. As a partial update of Rockness and Williams (1988), a descriptive account is presented of what mutual fund managers regard as the social issues that constitute corporate social performance. The resulting taxonomy represents an empirically derived framework useful in considering social accounting in general and accounting standard setting in particular.

Evaluating the Application of CSR in the High-Tech Industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9151715 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (15) ◽

pp. 1715

Author(s):

Shih-Chia Chang ◽

Ming-Tsang Lu ◽

Mei-Jen Chen ◽

Li-Hua Huang

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Social Issues ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Multiple Criteria Decision Making ◽

Sustainable Growth ◽

High Tech ◽

High Tech Industry ◽

Continuous Growth ◽

Csr Strategies ◽

Since its conception, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has seen continuous growth and become a highly discussed issue. In this paper, we propose an evaluation of how the COVID-19 pandemic could impact CSR applications. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for commerce to move on to being more authentic, to offer genuine CSR applications and to contribute toward dealing with pressing environmental and social issues. Hence, this purpose of the research is to obtain a better understanding of whether the integration of environment, social, corporate governance and economic (ESGE) aspects into CSR strategies can support sustainable development toward more sustainable growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet this challenge, we offer a mixture multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) model. Very few empirical studies have discussed CSR in the high-tech industry and proposed strategies and planning for ESGE efficiency. Using interviews with experts and a literature review, we identify the elements related to actual practices of the high-tech industry’s appraisal and the integrated MCDM techniques to suggest efficient enhancement models. The best worst method (BWM) and modified VIKOR are implemented to estimate the strategic weights and the gaps of the aspiration value. The results are valuable for classifying the priorities of CSR and are therefore helpful for those who are associated with high-tech industry management, practices and implementation.