Abstracts of Conference Proceedings - Corporate Communication ...

The Battle for LegitimacyCorporate Communication Challenges in Implementing CSRIrene Pollach, Anne Ellerup Nielsen, Bo Laursen, Christa Thomsen, Leila Trapp,Line Schmeltz, Poul Erik JørgensenCentre for Corporate Communication, Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences,Aarhus University, DenmarkIRPO@asb.comThis paper presents the findings from an interview study conducted among 16 CSR managers oflarge, industrial companies in Denmark that represent frontrunners in the field of CSR. Therationale for choosing CSR managers rather than corporate communication managers is thatCSR managers are more likely to be involved in actively shaping CSR strategies, which is crucialfor this study. The paper takes an interpretive, social constructionist approach, exploring howCSR managers perceive and frame the challenges present in CSR communication with a view tomanaging stakeholder relations, maintaining social legitimacy, and implementing their CSRstrategies. Theoretically, the study is based on a holistic approach, grounded in strategy,organization, and communication. More specifically, it draws on the theories of competitiveadvantage, institutionalization, and auto-communication in order to study the companies' battlefor legitimacy in the public sphere.(Paper was not available at time of publication.)Conference on Corparate Communication Proceedings 2011Page 4