The purpose of this study is to explore the current practices in corporate
sustainability/CSR communications and how this trend contributes to corporate
value creation. More specifically, this study looks at this subject from the
angle of how companies can use corporate sustainability/CSR communications in
marketing activities to attain corporate marketing objectives.
To achieve the aim of this study, an examination of the current practices in
corporate sustainability /CSR communications was performed through a pertinent
empirical and theoretical literature review as well as a quantitative and
qualitative empirical method using a survey questionnaire. The author
attempted, in the same way, to illustrate how corporate sustainability/CSR
communications can strengthen corporate reputation and directly enhance
financial performance. For theory, two bodies of literature (corporate
communications and corporate sustainability) were selected for review in terms
of the degree of synergy and integration between them and their implications
for this thesis.
The key findings from literature review and empirical study showed that the
practices of corporate social responsibility communications occurs through CSR,
Triple Bottom Line (PPP) or corporate sustainability reporting, stakeholder
dialogue on sustainability issues and social and environmental communication
programs. Also, the auditing and assurance of CSR reporting is carried out
through different measures including internal (i.e. human resources management,
CSR and/or PR department) and external (i.e. business partner, consulting or
risk management firm) or both measures. It was also found that sustainability
has been a part of corporate culture and strategy development for a number of
organizations pursuing the sustainability path for decades. Moreover, public
relations activity is ranked the most effective in communicating sustainability
at corporate level and has the potential to reach a wide spectrum of
stakeholder audiences. However, a level of skepticism was noticed among
stakeholders towards corporate sustainability/CSR communications. Nonetheless,
knowing how stakeholders perceive corporate image and what they expect in
return for their support is fundamental in designing effective corporate and
marketing communications strategies. Stakeholders’ relations management is the
bottom line for success and sustainability of the business and lies at the core
of CSR practice and its reporting. Further, the growth of corporate
sustainability/CSR communications has reflected the keen interest from all
stakeholders; hence, it has become a topic of major importance and also, as it
was found, a key factor that experts and planners in the field should
capitalize on and watch in competitive marketplaces.
Furthermore, having a pro-social and environmental agenda means having a sound
corporate and marketing communications strategies that can build a company’s
reputational standing and create sustainable competitive advantages. The trend
towards injecting sustainability into corporate decisions making and strategy
development has come about through what organizations have achieved in terms of
value creation pertaining to reputation and financial performance enhancement.
The...
