Maria Palazzo

Corporate social responsibility: engaging the community

Purpose This paper aims to extend corporate social responsibility (CSR) theory by exploring how firms engage with community. The community is frequently cited as a stakeholder of the firm, but in spite of its status in networks it has not been the focus of research. Drawing on community theory and Carroll’s pyramid for the foundation of this study, the authors undertake an empirical investigation to advance knowledge in CSR engagement with a particular stakeholder group. Design/methodology/approach To generate an in-depth insight, the study adopts a multiple case study approach involving the purposeful selection of three retail banks in Ghana as units of analysis. It draws on multiple data sources to strengthen its findings. Findings The study finds that community engagement consists of four spheres of activity: donations, employee voluntarism, projects and partnerships. Philanthropy forms part of largely ad hoc CSR actions by firms. The study also finds that philanthropy is not merely a desired function of the CSR pyramid but an essential one. Practical implications This research imparts increased understanding of how firms engage with an important but frequently overlooked stakeholder group – community. Originality/value This study presents specific theoretical extensions to CSR through its identification of four core activities of community engagement.

Managing CSR communication

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse how service and product-based industries communicate their efforts in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as legitimacy-seeking strategies. The service companies are thus compared to product companies in their use of different rhetorical strategies and associated legitimacy approaches on their corporate websites. Design/methodology/approach A thematic content analysis of the websites of companies belonging to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index was conducted, to identify different rhetorical strategies (institutional, political and strategic), each associated with modes companies use to gain legitimacy (cognitive, moral and pragmatic). Findings The study shows that service and product companies differ in terms of how they symbolically manage legitimacy. Service companies are less active in communicating CSR in two out of three of the identified rhetorical strategies. Other differences are observable at an industry level. Practical implications The study provides an in-depth understanding of legitimacy approaches elicited by online CSR communication. Managers of service companies can benefit from suggestions on how to use CSR content to sustain specific legitimacy strategies. Originality/value This study represents a starting point in connecting the ongoing debate on legitimacy theory with different rhetorical CSR approaches. It demonstrates that the seeking of legitimacy is to some extent restrained within the service industry.

Rethinking Bernstein communication wheel: A re-visitation of a communication tool

Purpose The aim of this conceptual paper is to review Bernstein’s communication wheel to make it a tool that can be used in the selection of a corporate communication mix. Design/methodology/approach A critical analysis of Bernstein’s communication wheel shows it to be a checklist, a starting point in the examination of corporate communication mix, but it is not as such of great help to the decision maker. Findings The findings of reviewing literature highlight that the principle of a clear distinction between strategic decisions and operational decisions is applicable also in the field of corporate communication. For each stakeholder relationship, the authors’ framework suggests typical combinations of activities and means to be used. These combinations are useful to experiment with expert systems which are functional to the choices of corporate communication mix. Practical implications The analysis of communication gaps gives directions for formulating strategic decisions. In this framework, tactical decisions concern the components of the communication mix architecture (or communication chain): activities, means and vehicles of communication. On the contrary, Bernstein’s communication wheel includes only generic channels (or media) and gives no indications as to the architecture of the communication mix. Originality/value This study illustrates the hierarchy of decisions relating to corporate communication mix, the communication wheel could also be useful in communication planning. If this assumption is held to be true it then becomes possible to lay out a framework for a progressive decision-making path that means making sequential choices (first strategic, then tactical). In the stakeholder approach, the aim of strategic decisions is to choose the stakeholder groups on which a firm has to focus its corporate communication activities.

Avoiding the greenwashing trap: between CSR communication and stakeholder engagement

The paper analyses key elements of communication that may lead to accusations that a company is engaging in practices of greenwashing failing to create stakeholder engagement. According to sensemaking and sensegiving approaches, the theoretical foundations that underpin the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and greenwashing practices are explored and a comparison between two energy companies in the Italian and Dutch context is set up for exploratory purpose. The integration of a companys strategic CSR approach and its communication practices may help to enhance effective stakeholder engagement, prevent accusations of greenwashing and avert the negative associated consequences (e.g., scepticism among stakeholders). The research provides a theoretical contribution to CSR communication by identifying several pitfalls that can lead to the appearance of greenwashing and provides caveats for the further development of both theory and managerial practices.

Tetra Pak Italy’s ingredient branding: an exploratory case of strategic communication

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the role ingredient branding (IB) plays in shaping the strategic communications created by public relations/corporate communication departments of large organizations when managing crises. Design/methodology/approach – Starting from a literature review on strategic communication and IB the role of this activity is studied within the Italian context. In order to reach the aim of the paper, primary and secondary sources were exploited generating qualitative and quantitative data. The primary data were gathered though in-depth interviews with key management personnel while the secondary data were sourced from reports made available by Tetra Pak Italy. Findings – The study confirmed the contribution of the strategic proactive role played by Tetra Pak Italy managers of External Relations and Marketing Departments and the communication agency manager during a challenging period of crisis for the company. The main implication of the paper lies in the analysis of...

The role of physical metaphors for decision-making in integrated corporate communication

Purpose The role of metaphors in information management has generally been acknowledged owing to their ability to convey immediately huge amounts of information and richness. Their role is more and more important in the current digital context of communication and marketing activities, as the decision speed and accuracy are crucial. The purpose of this study is, thus, to analyze physical metaphors as tools for making sequential decisions to achieve effective integrated corporate communication (ICC). Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on the critical analysis of literature on corporate communication and stakeholder management as building blocks for implementing an integrated approach to corporate communications. Findings A revision of two well-known physical metaphors in the communication literature (the “wheel” and “umbrella”) has been proposed. It is argued that integrated communication within corporate communications is more complex than in marketing communications, as it involves a greater variety of elements to coordinate and harmonize. The proposed physical metaphors suggest an effective sequential decision-making as they allow a clear distinction between different decision levels. Research limitations/implications The paper adds to the debate on the link between theory and practice of ICC. From a practical standpoint, the proposed metaphors as simple and concrete tools for handling complex information and ICC problems could aid novice practitioners and students of corporate communications courses. Originality/value The paper shows that while scholars have concurred that ICC is crucial for different type of organizations, the use of physical metaphors can be beneficial for the reality-based challenge of ICC.

The value and significance of corporate community relations: an Italian SME perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between community of place and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lombard industrial districts in Italy. Design/methodology/approach A brief literature review of international authors from the stakeholder approach and Corporate Community Relations (CCRs) field is presented. This paper refers to a survey of Lombard industrial districts conducted by ALTIS. The data were collected via a telephone survey from 834 firms. Findings The main finding is that managing CCRs is of major importance for company success. The results of the survey show that there are some tools and actions that Italian industrial district SMEs use to interact with their particular communities of place to develop effective and coherent relationships with their stakeholder groups. Moreover, although the survey shows that though SMEs do implement different CCR activities, they are not able to communicate these effectively through systematic communication strategies. However, the narrow sample includes only a sample of some Lombard districts. Nonetheless, the findings indicate that effective CCR seems to confer competitive advantage based on stakeholder responses and rewards sought. Research limitations/implications The framework could assist in supporting CCR developments between industrial districts as various players would know how to improve CCR activities. One further suggestion is that University and Research Centers could have a role to play in creating and communicating codified knowledge concerning community relations in industrial districts, while other public players still have to develop specific tasks in improving infrastructures. Originality/value This study is in line with the main focus of CCR, which is in striving to meet stakeholder and societal needs. However, industrial district SMEs have to learn how to communicate their CCR activities from the examples set by large Italian companies. The paper links the notion of CCR with tools and actions to develop meaningful relationships with both community of place and interest. Moreover, considering the survey results, a new framework for local player roles is proposed.

Conceptualizing content marketing: a delphi approach

Il content marketing (CM) e stato descritto, soprattutto in ambito professionale, come un nuovo approccio nella pratica della comunicazione di marketing in grado di raggiungere una serie di obiettivi specifici (coinvolgimento del cliente, brand awareness, ecc.). Nonostante la sua diffusione pervasiva nelle pratiche di business, poco e stato detto riguardo al suo significato teorico effettivo. Pertanto, il presente lavoro mira a esplorare le dimensioni chiave del CM. E stata sviluppata un’analisi Delphi di tipo predittivo coinvolgendo numerosi esperti nazionali e internazionali (sia accademici che professionisti), con l’obiettivo di delineare un quadro, per quanto possibile esaustivo, in merito alle determinanti, ai fattori costitutivi e agli effetti generati dall’adozione di tale approccio, oltre che per esaminare alcune eventuali barriere all’implementazione. Lo studio conferma il contributo potenziale del content marketing nel ridisegnare alcune tendenze nell’ambito della comunicazione di marketing. Il paper propone, inoltre, alcune implicazioni manageriali e offre un’agenda di ricerca per questo campo di studio emergente.

THE ROLE PLAYED BY COMMUNITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP FIRM-CUSTOMER: THE ONLINE EXPERT INVESTMENT COMMUNITIES

The present study starts from several evolutionary dynamics of post-modern society developed in the sociological and psychosociological literature, concerning the role of individual as a part of social groups. The paper aims at analyzing the investor online community, a particular kind of community in which investors/members communicate and build relationships between them and with the firm. From a literature review, it emerges that these relationships could have as main purpose the exchange (such as the consumer and the firm are business partners) or show a communal goal (such as that between family members and friends). The expert investment communities are analysed thanks to a theoretical framework that shows different categories of community members. The role of communities seems particularly significant as regards as “attractiveness”, which is about mutual compatibility between the company and the consumer/investor. Companies need to know how to communicate with these communities in order to get valuable feedback. For this reason, the paper focuses on the main implications of the investment relations management, considering the fact that they are strongly influenced by the increasing importance of interpersonal communication in web 2.0. Moreover, the paper suggests that firms could manage investor empowerment thanks to social web and communities. Consequently, they have to understand: how these online worlds work, how the investors use them, and how their employment could help them to put financial decision into practice. Besides, thanks to social web, firms could manage a financial communication more targeted and efficient. Actually, firm exploitation of communities not only have to result in changing communication channel, but it could create contents for a new kind of users.