Corporate Social Responsibility

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relief, and to young people’s development in general. Meanwhile the differences were reflected in product safety, and to form partnership with the government in practicing CSR.

Similarly, same method was used to measure the degree of industrial difference effects on CSR communication. First, the companies were divided into two categories: Companies targeting consumers (i.e. producer of consumer products) and companies targeting businesses (i.e. companies in energy and raw materials). Results indicated a meaningful difference between the two categories. Companies targeting consumers are more philanthropically oriented, while the ones targeting businesses are more likely to engage in legal and ethical rationalities.

What we can learn from this research study is that the social and cultural context has a great impact on how companies approach and implement CSR practices. Furthermore, even industries and sectors can play a major role in the company’s orientation and how it communicates its CSR principles.

In the past decades, the business world has seen an increase in the attention of the role of business in society. Therefore, many companies have been working hard to modify their structure by implementing CSR strategies. This paper analyzed how Chinese and global corporations communicates their CSR practices in China. However, there’s always a tendency of selective reporting and the possibility of green-washing.

In fact, it is hard to understand CSR within the Chinese culture by western standards. In the Chinese context, the social relations are centered on family, friendship and respect for seniors, rather than professionalism. Additional work by Wang and Juslin (2009) stated that “the Western CSR concepts do not adapt well to the Chinese market, because they have rarely defined the primary reason for CSR well, and the etic approach to CSR concepts does not take the Chinese reality and culture into consideration”.

Moreover, this study only considers the CSR communication of top companies in China which is in a way not relating to the big number of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that is making the large proportion of the economy. Yu and Bell (2007) emphasized that the most important motivator for SMEs to engage in CSR is to improve their public image followed by governmental legislation. Chinese SMEs have long been associated with many socially irresponsible behaviors, therefore, an insight on how Chinese SMEs perceive and practice CSR has a special importance.

Finally, such self-presentations can only be a mean to promote a company’s image and reputation. Previous studies show that the public is often skeptical about corporations’ CSR disclosure, considering it a public relations tool rather than real and genuine CSR engagement. So, we need to ask ourselves, to which extent can we trust companies self-reporting?

References

Tang, L., & Li, H. (2009). Corporate social responsibility communication of Chinese and global corporations in China. Public Relations Review, 35(3), 199-212. doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2009.05.016

Wang, L., & Juslin, H. (2009). The impact of Chinese culture on corporate social responsibility: The harmony approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(3), 433-451. doi: 10.1007/s10551-009-0306-7

Yu, J., & Bell, J. B. (2007). Building a sustainable business in china’s small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs). Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 9(1), 19-43. doi: 10.1142/S1464333207002718