Proceedings: Conference on Corporate Communication 2012 Page 1

Insights on CSR Strategy Influence
Who, What and How
N. Leila Trapp, Poul Erik Flyvholm Jørgensen. Bo Laursen
Anne Ellerup Nielsen, Irene Pollach, Line Schmeltz, Christa Thomsen
Centre for Corporate Communication
Department of Communication
School of Business and Social Sciences
Aarhus University, Denmark
ltr@asb.dk
A given characteristic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs is that they reflect
stakeholder expectations and preferences for corporate behavior. This study examines the process
of developing CSR strategy, focusing on who and what influences this strategy, and whether the
process reflects traditional issues management, or the presumably more enlightened practice of
stakeholder engagement.
Answers are based on an in-depth analysis of interviews with CSR managers from 16 industryleading,
Danish companies.
Results indicate that although there is a wide range of influencers, customers and company
managers have a relatively strong influence on strategy. Also, not all influencers are stakeholders
per se, as networks and consultants also have influence. CSR managers tend to adopt an issues
management approach; they are keener on gaining insight into potential CSR issues than on
forming relationships in the strategy-making process.
If stakeholder engagement is indeed a modern managerial ideal, these findings point to the need
for more awareness of its benefits, or greater commitment to practice it. This study, however,
suggests that issues management still has much to offer practitioners, and therefore should
continue to receive attention in the CSR strategy literature.
Keywords: Corporate social responsibility; Stakeholder management; Stakeholder engagement;
Issues management
Paper Type: Research
Abstracts of <strong>Conference</strong> <strong>Proceedings</strong>: <strong>Conference</strong> on Corporate Communication 2012
Page 34