Twelve years of press coverage on CSR

Presented at the European Business Ethics Network Research Conference: Measuring and valuing corporate reputation
Pamplona, 7th June 2013

Transcript

1. Research Synthesis of Twelve Years of Press Coverage on CSR Cristian R. Loza Adaui Isabel Winkler André Habisch Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen EBEN Research Conference: Measuring and valuing corporate reputation University of Navarra, Pamplona 7th June 2013
2. Summary  Introduction  Methodology  Results  Conclusions
3. Introduction  Media coverage of corporate behavior covers a broad spectrum of possibilities.  Media system influence the public sphere giving the public opinion something to “think about” (McCombs 2004, McCombs & Shaw 1972, Lowery & Defleur 1995, Dearing & Rogers 1996).  Media can influence corporate behavior (Baron 2005, Berman et al. 1999, Chen & Meindl 1991, Fombrun and Shanley 1990, Henriques and Sadorsky 1999).  Media can contribute to establish management “fashions” (Guthey et al 2006) and  Media “act as an instigator of the pressure applied to the business world to assume social responsibility” (Eisenegger & Schranz 2011, p. 141).
4. Introduction  Media can influence corporate social responsible behavior through:  The reduction of information asymmetries. (McWilliams & Siegel 2005, Siegel & Vitaliano 2007, Carroll 2011a)  The role it plays in the construction (or destruction) of corporate reputation (Fombrun & Shanley 1990, Carroll & McComb 2003, Deephouse 2000, Dutton and Dukerich 1991, Einwiller et al. 2010, Carroll 2011b)  The visibility that media gives to particular firms (Ziglidopoulus et al. 2012, Capriotti 2009).
5. Introduction  The study of news coverage of CSR is relevant:  To understand the development of CSR.  To comprehend the evolution of the media and the way companies communicate CSR.  News coverage tells us something about:  The object covered.  The journalist who wrote the news.  The media company behind the informative products.
6. Methodology  Objective: “Synthesize empirical findings of print text-based media coverage of corporate social responsibility”.  Timeframe:  Empirical literature published between 2000 and 2012.  Languages:  Publications in English, German & Spanish
7. Methodology  Search procedure: 1. Computer searches in 20 different databases. 2. Perusal of 14 relevant journals. 3. Search of reference list of articles including narrative literature reviews (Stelzer 2009, Weder 2012, Carroll 2011, Korin 2010) 4. Contact with experts and authors.
8. Methodology  Inclusion exclusion criteria  Type of article (empirical* or theoretical).  Geographical coverage of media analyzed (local level, country level*, regional level*, global level*).  If * is present = included / if + is not present = excluded.  Final sample of 25 studies published between 2000 and 2012 in English, German or Spanish.
9. Results: Types of publication, research methods, countries & language
10. Results: Number of media and texts analyzed, timeframe of the coverage
11. Results: Geographical frame of the studies on press coverage of CSR
12. Results: Timeframe & number of texts analyzed
13. Results: Cluster analysis
14. Results: Example cluster of Latin American countries  Media of 20 keywords used for selection of news.  Coverage regards mostly big enterprises (not in Bolivia).  Tone of the coverage: Positive.  Number of sources used: Mostly 1.  Principal sources of information: 1st business, 2nd NGOs.  Type of articles: Studies not always differentiate between editorials, opinion articles and advertorials.
15. Some few conclusions  Methodological issues  Possibly biased search strategies: social responsibility versus social irresponsibility.  Distinctions between types of articles.  Deontological issues  Reduced number of sources used.  Enterprises as the principal source of information.  Positive tone of the coverage  Organizational issues  Media companies and journalism considered as a synonymous
16. Thank you for your attention