Perceptions on influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Organizational Image: A study of selected Telecommunication Organisations in Kenya

Abstract

Telecommunications firms in Kenya have employed various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities as a way of improving an organizational corporate image, but the perceptions of communities towards these CSR activities are not clear. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to establish the perceptions of the organizations’ management on the influence of CSR on organizational image; to assess the communities’ perceptions on the influence of CSR on organizational image; and to examine the consistency between the perceptions of the organizations’ management and communities on the influence of CSR on organizational image. The study was conducted at the head offices of the telecommunication firms. A qualitative case study method was adopted and purposive sampling used to conduct in-depth interviews with six senior managers from each of the organizations and 12 members of each community where the organizations have specifically undertaken successful CSR activities. Document analysis was used to supplement the data from the in-depth interviews, which was then analyzed thematically. The findings of the study reveal the CSR activities have a positive influence on the organizational corporate image since the organizations gained much popularity from the general public as result of the employed CSR activities. Further, the CSR activities influenced members of the community to develop a positive perception towards the organizations’ activities, with a corresponding positive corporate image. Finally, the study found that management perceptions and community perceptions towards the organizations CSR activities were consistent. The study concludes that to improve on communities’ perceptions on the influence of CSR on an organizational image, the organization management should engage members of the community when designing CSR strategies. There has been a growing interest in the antecedents and consequences of CSR among organizations, especially at multinational and multidivisional companies. The corporate managers are aware of the fact that regulatory framework, business standards, and stakeholders vary substantially across regions, nations, and business lines. However, for both practitioners and academicians, the CSR analysis is still nascent leaving empirical methods, theoretical frameworks and measurement unresolved. The academic implication on this thesis is to further CSR research agenda by uniting multiple perspectives. These perspectives include the influence of academic research on CSR, the role of philosophies, economics, and corporate citizenship perspective on the subject. In addition, it contributes to analyzing the relationship between CSR and competitive advantage as well as the role of different organizational environments in explaining stakeholder’s expectations on firm engagements on CSR. The academic contribution of this research towards CSR is capturing of values as well as gauging an organization’s contribution towards the development of the society. Additionally, the study sought to gauge the success of an organization through the inclusion of CSR into its operations while at the same time managing other stakeholder’s expectations such as suppliers, employees as well as the community at large. The purpose of the study was to establish the perceptions of the influence of corporate social responsibility on an organizational image, with special reference selected telecommunication firms in Kenya.