Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR): A Critical View of Multinational Corporations’ Communication and Public Relations Practices in a Postcolonial Setting
Creators: name: Morris, Krisztina
Publisher: name: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Year: 2022
Subjects: Nigeria
Venezuela
corporate sustainability and social responsibility
globalisation
postcolonialism
development
environmental responsiblity
multinational corporations
oil and mining industry
strategic communications
Communication and media studies
Other language, communication and culture

description: The effects of imperialism across multiple societies and cultures have long provoked transdisciplinary debate over the very notion of postcolonialism. In this regard, the focus has remained on the political, economic, environmental and digital influence of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the developing world, and concerns have emerged over the trans-nationalisation of corporate capitalism. The management model of MNCs in host nations is largely perceived to be enhanced by strategic corporate communication goals that appear to coincide with dominant Western models of economic development, often referred to as corporate imperialism. In this sense, corporate sustainability and social responsibility (CSSR) has gained a high profile in the business world, with communication and public relations expertise often sought to manage key stakeholders and build ‘glocal’ (Morita in Visser 2011) corporate reputation.
description: This project set out to empirically interrogate the notion of CSSR and critically examine the role of strategic communication and public relations in CSSR projects across two oil MNCs in two postcolonial settings: Nigeria in Africa and Venezuela in South America. The project takes on a critical, interdisciplinary approach, engaging with globalisation, postcolonial theory and developmental perspectives, and sets out to deconstruct a purposive sample of CSSR projects from two cultural sites. Among the questions posed are: What is the purpose and nature of MNC’s CSSR projects in the developing world? How are they designed? Who designs them and for whom? What are the narratives and counter narratives? What policies and ideologies underpin these narratives? And do similar patterns prevail across different cultural sites in the developing world?
description: The aim of this study was to provide the field of public relations and the oil and mining industry with new knowledge to facilitate greater practices in CSSR communication. Using a methodological triangulation approach of quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis within qualitative critical discourse analysis and qualitative interviews, the research discovered that the effects of globalisation still perpetuate imbalanced relations between developed and developing nations. The case studies and further textual analysis revealed that while MNCs are consciously improving their social responsibility and creating new initiatives, the lack of strategic communication among stakeholders – particularly the host communities – often results in poor execution. The findings also demonstrate that the CSSR projects in Nigeria mostly focus on community development with economic and social benefits, but not on environmental sustainability, clean-up or restoration. MNCs’ CSSR efforts are carefully represented in the public sphere through strategic persuasion. In the case of Venezuela, CSSR projects are non-existent due to the humanitarian crisis that has steadily been unfolding over the past decade. However, the lack of CSSR is manipulated by public relations propaganda that is perpetuated by government-run strategic communication agencies.
description: The project offers suggestions for transparent strategic communication that focuses on indigenous community-centred approaches, thinking beyond the economic profitability of short-term investments and sustainability.