Formative Perspectives on the Relation Between CSR Communication and CSR Practices: Pathways for Walking, Talking, and T(w)alking

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Authors

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.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBusiness and Society
Volume59
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)5-33
Number of pages29
ISSN0007-6503
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2020

    Research areas

  • aspirational talk, communication as constitutive of organization (CCO), corporate social responsibility, CSR communication, CSR practices, sensemaking
  • Management studies

DOI