Academic Conference on Good Business

The Challenge of International CSR Communication - Solving the Credibility Dilemma

By engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, companies can generate positive attitudinal and reputational effects among consumers. Furthermore, research indicates enhanced support behaviour such as purchase intent and loyalty as an outcome of companies’ engagement. However, lacking awareness and knowledge are key barriers to reaping these benefits and companies’ CSR communication is consequently a crucial prerequisite. Effective communication does not only imply to address a sufficient large audience but also to convey the messages in a credible way. This is especially important for a sensitive topic like CSR and confronts companies with a difficult trade-off. This research aims to identify the effectiveness of different communication methods used in an international context to disseminate information about companies’ CSR initiatives. Our first tentative impressions and observations derived from currently conducted interviews are summarised in a matrix. This framework serves as a basis for drawing first preliminary insights and discussing next steps.