TY - JOUR

T1 - Formative Perspectives on the Relation Between CSR Communication and CSR Practices

T2 - Pathways for Walking, Talking, and T(w)alking

AU - Schöneborn, Dennis

AU - Morsing, Mette

AU - Crane, Andrew

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Within the burgeoning corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication literature, the question of the relationship between CSR practices and CSR communication (or between “walk” and “talk”) has been a central concern. Recently, we observe a growing interest in formative views on the relation between CSR communication and practices, that is, works which ascribe to communication a constitutive role in creating, maintaining, and transforming CSR practices. This article provides an overview of the heterogeneous landscape of formative views on CSR communication scholarship. More specifically, we distinguish between three variants of such formative views: walking-to-talk, talking-to-walk, and t(w)alking. These three orientations differ primarily regarding the temporal dynamics that they ascribe to the relation between CSR communication and practices and regarding the object that is formed through communication. This new typology helps systematize the emerging field of research on CSR communication, and we use it as a compass to provide directions for future research in this area.

AB - Within the burgeoning corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication literature, the question of the relationship between CSR practices and CSR communication (or between “walk” and “talk”) has been a central concern. Recently, we observe a growing interest in formative views on the relation between CSR communication and practices, that is, works which ascribe to communication a constitutive role in creating, maintaining, and transforming CSR practices. This article provides an overview of the heterogeneous landscape of formative views on CSR communication scholarship. More specifically, we distinguish between three variants of such formative views: walking-to-talk, talking-to-walk, and t(w)alking. These three orientations differ primarily regarding the temporal dynamics that they ascribe to the relation between CSR communication and practices and regarding the object that is formed through communication. This new typology helps systematize the emerging field of research on CSR communication, and we use it as a compass to provide directions for future research in this area.

KW - aspirational talk

KW - communication as constitutive of organization (CCO)

KW - corporate social responsibility

KW - CSR communication

KW - CSR practices

KW - sensemaking

KW - Management studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065644275&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0007650319845091

DO - 10.1177/0007650319845091

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85065644275

VL - 59

SP - 5

EP - 33

JO - Business and Society

JF - Business and Society

SN - 0007-6503

IS - 1

ER -