Corporate Social Responsibility: Online Reporting

Introduction

Recently, wonderful innovations in digital communication particularly the various media platforms the internet provides have ignited the intellectual interest of many communication scholars and media practitioners and produced better channels for corporations to interact with their various stakeholder groups (Lister et al., 2009; Livingstone, 1999). Communication between organizations and their stakeholders have changed tremendously. Grudic Kvasic et al., (2016) noted that Corporate Social Responsibility reports are known under different names such as Environment Report, Triple Bottom Line Report, Sustainable Development Report, Corporate Social Responsibility Report and others. The change has provided organizations with several media channels they could communicate with their various stakeholder groups and obtain their comments easier and faster (Friedman & Friedman, 2008). It is important to note that Corporate Social Responsibility reporting is continuously increasing in terms of both quantity and quality (Grudic Kvasic et al., 2016; Baric, 2017). They maintained that the process of globalization coupled with advances in information technology led to corporate websites becoming the primary media for corporate social responsibility reporting, particularly in large enterprises and multinational corporations. The advantage of the Internet or corporate websites over traditional communication channels (annual reports, brochures, television) is reflected in interactive two-way communication, which is efficient and repaid transmission of information to different groups of stakeholders at the same time.

Prior to the discoveries of these great innovations in digital communication which many communication scholars and media practitioners have regarded as New Media (Logan, 2010; Lister et al., 2009; Livingstone, 1999; Friedman & Friedman, 2008), interaction between organizations and their diverse stakeholder groups was one-way patterned and often only electronic media and print media were used. Today, because of these great innovations in digital communication, most organizations can communicate better with various stakeholders on several media channels the internet platform provides (Atlı et al., 2018; Baric, 2017). Among these media channels are a company blog, website, Facebook page, twitter handle and others.

However, the use of these channels particularly the website by organizations to inform their various stakeholders about their programs and contributions in the society seems not to be well acknowledged and effective or perhaps most stakeholders are not conscious of the information provided on these channels (Livingstone, 1999). Discussing the community perception and oil companies’ corporate social responsibility initiative in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, Ojo (2012) observed that in spite of some scholarly works in the area, little is known about oil companies CSR practices and how they fit into the overall sustainable development plan of the region. He noted that most oil companies’ officials and the host communities had been locked in claims and counterclaims over the practice of their CSR initiatives.