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Prochno, Sina, 2021. A communicative constructionist perspective on corporate social responsibility : using software for understanding and attributing meaning to CSR. Second cycle, A2E. Uppsala: SLU, Dept. of Urban and Rural Development

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Abstract

Today, companies increasingly have to address and communicate the impact that their activities and decisions have on the environment and society. This is reflected in particular in the concept of CSR, which is based on the fundamental idea of sustainable and future-oriented business. CSR encompasses cross-cutting tasks that require employees to work together across departments to develop strategic approaches and find common solutions. In order to meet the increasing demands for transparency and accountability, companies are introducing collaborative management tools such as software with which data on social, ecological or economic aspects can be collected, evaluated and processed for CSR reporting. The aim of this study is to provide insights into this under-researched area as well as to develop an understanding of what CSR means in a corporate context and what influence it has on internal communication between employees when working with software. Through a case study approach, this was addressed by examining the use of WeSustain's Enterprise Sustainability Management (ESM) software, which is implemented by multinational companies of different sizes for their CSR management. The results reveal that CSR is understood as a dynamic construct that continuously emerges, develops and changes in the interactions between the employees involved. Taking in a communicative-constructivist perspective, two functions of CSR become central, which result from an instrumental and constitutive approach to these issues when working with the ESM software. Furthermore, from the perspective of social representation theory, CSR management through software demonstrates that it creates an accessible framework in which interactions are facilitated and guided. It also provides functions through which meaning can be organised and shared. Accordingly, the study argues that constitutive communication processes play an important role in enabling employees to relate to CSR issues situationally and contextually and to perceive them as meaningful.

Main title:A communicative constructionist perspective on corporate social responsibility
Subtitle:using software for understanding and attributing meaning to CSR
Authors:Prochno, Sina
Supervisor:Bergeå, Hanna
Examiner:Holmgren, Sara and Westberg, Lotten
Series:UNSPECIFIED
Volume/Sequential designation:UNSPECIFIED
Year of Publication:2021
Level and depth descriptor:Second cycle, A2E
Student's programme affiliation:NM026 Environmental communication and management - Master's programme
Supervising department:(NL, NJ) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development
(LTJ, LTV) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development
Keywords:Corporate Social Responsibility, social representation theory, communication, management tools, sustainability
URN:NBN:urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-500233
Permanent URL:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-500233
Subject. Use of subject categories until 2023-04-30.:Extension
Rural sociology and social security
Language:English
Deposited On:21 Jun 2021 09:27
Metadata Last Modified:22 Jun 2021 01:01

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