Acting as responsible citizens;

A presentation of CSR initiatives on corporate web sites in the Netherlands

Introduction•Corporate Social Responsibility

▫The relationship between an organization and the society in which it operates

▫The tool to legitimize an organization in the eyes of society

Research QuestionHow is Corporate Social Responsibility

presented on corporate web sites in the Netherlands?

▫How are Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives presented on a corporate web site?

▫What frames does an organization use to communicate information concerning CSR to groups of interest?

Theoretical background•Motivations for CSR commitment

▫Public Relations versus CSR•Stakeholder focus

▫Different stakeholders, different interest•Responsibility for the value chain

▫Increasingly complex markets•Framing

▫News Corporate web site▫Economic, legal, ethical, discrete

Methodology •50 most valuable Dutch brands (2009)

•Content analyses▫Content questions▫Framing questions

ResultsCSR information on corporate homepage

62%

•Different ▫Amount of CSR information

Unilever most information on CSR• Similair

• Focus on stakeholders and triple bottom line Employees & suppliers ‘People’ & ‘Planet’

Results•Correlations between amount of CSR

information and:

▫RQ1: Disposition on the list of brands▫H1: CSR related issues mentioned▫H2: Stakeholders▫H3: Business sector

Results•Framing

▫Average score for each frame:

Human interest frame .55 Environmental frame .53 Economic frame .14 Legal frame .25 Ehtical frame .56 Responsibility frame .77

Conclusion•Dutch organizations differ in the amount of CSR

information on their corporate web site

•Organizations who find CSR important enough to give information on CSR have a similair focus

•CSR information is about…▫taking care of employees and suppliers▫caring for ‘People’ and ‘Planet’ ▫taking responsibility for a greater role in society

Questions?