the role of social media in sustainability oriented practices - mba management project report
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The Role of Social Media in Sustainability Oriented Practices - MBA Management Project Report 2013 Presented By: Fahad Ramzan https://www.facebook.com/Fahad.R.Rehmani pk.linkedin.com/in/fahadramzan/ https://twitter.com/FRamzanTRANSCRIPT
University of Nottingham
The Role of Social Media in Sustainability Oriented Practices
An Exploratory Study
By
Fahad Ramzan
2013
A Management Project presented in part consideration for the degree of
Master of Business Administration
PRELIMINARIES
i
o Abstract
o Acknowledgements
o Table of Contents
o List of Tables
o List of Figures
PRELIMINARIES
ii
ABSTRACT
Media, which was once seen as social institutions, came under criticism with the emergence
of private media. It was argued that private media was more about profit than social purposes.
But with the emergence of social media (like blogs, Facebook, twitter etc.) the important of
media as social institution can be seen as increasing. In USA, France, Spain and other
European countries there is a rapid growth in the use of social media and its influence is
acknowledged in different arena’s including business and marketing. This study explores the
role of social media as an institution towards making business responsible / sustainability
oriented practices of business organisations. There has been quite a lot of practice literature
regarding the role of social media and CSR or sustainability - it appears to focus on the
aspects ranging from “communications” or “building relations” with stakeholders, engaging
and influencing constituents towards responsible practices. Another dimension of
sustainability or CSR that is being discussed is about transparency – that through discussion
in various social media there is transparency to customers about the products or services, to
others about how it treats employees and such. Such discussions in articles in press and also
in reports by consultants leads us to ask the question what role does social media play have in
for sustainability for firms operating in Malaysia – can social media become a social
institution that can hold businesses responsible? Can they influence business organisations to
integrate social or environmental issues into their strategies? If so how are global firms
adopting or using social media in the context of sustainability oriented business strategies?
And could there be a difference of the influence of social media in different sectors. This
study outlines what different social media can play in different aspects of sustainability /
responsible business practices in organisations operating in different sectors. Relevant
literature related to social media and business and also social media and sustainability issues
is gleaned to identify different themes to provide an initial framework or questions to make
the inquiry. The method on enquiry for this study is qualitative and involves discourse /
analysis. The sources for these discourses are primary as well as secondary – interviews of
Malaysian CSR practitioners and business executives in general are conducted and also
discussions in different internet forums or blogs are used as a source for discourses. This
analysis focuses on identifying how different social media could have an influence on
holding businesses to be responsible – different social media’s influence on different
dimensions of sustainability oriented business practices. In addition an attempt is made to
elicit and analyse data to propose an operational framework for organizations to have a
positive impact on stakeholders related to their sustainable business practices using social
media technologies.
PRELIMINARIES
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All thanks and all praise goes to Allah, who has helped me and given me the strength,
patience, knowledge and ability to complete my management project.
Writing the acknowledgement is, in general, left to end. I have started to do this during the
first month (June 2013) of management project. Why so early?
I believe certain things are to be said anytime, anywhere. Even when you are back in
hometown for your engagement function; everyone around you is busy to make
arrangements, but journals / articles are keeping you stick with your laptop rather than
focusing on courtship.
The completion of this report would have been impossible without the assistance,
encouragement, support and patience from the many individuals to whom I wish to express
my gratitude. This acknowledgement is the brief of this long process and it is my pleasure to
take this opportunity to thank everyone. It cannot express the long nights spent sitting in front
of my laptop, long hours spent on Semenyih-KL highway for KLTC classes and project
meetings, battling shoulder to shoulder with my fellow students and friends, the excitement
of presenting paper for International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR)
2013, the hope for good results, the sadness and tiredness with each failed attempt and long
fights over Skype with parents and fiancée for missing important festivals.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Avvari Mohan for his valuable time, guidance and
inputs in the various phases of this project. His meticulous supervision, continuous
encouragement, creative suggestions, critical comments, brilliance and mentorship have not
only contributed to the completion of this report but have also enhanced my confidence, both
professionally and personally. The many lessons I learned each day, his guidance and
inspiration have been invaluable. I am proud to have him as a friend, mentor and guide in this
journey.
I owe this manuscript largely to the loving support of my family who believed in me, and
especially to my father who has spent his life working day and night to build a new, better
world and ensuring that I do the same. I have to make a special mention of my mother, who
missed my presence at home on major events and her prayers provided immense emotional
support and encouragement at all times.
I am indebted to my friends and MBA class-fellows, especially Haji Mahmud Bin Haji
Mohamed, who supported me with their encouragement, enthusiasm and patience.
Last, but definitely not least, I am thankful to all the business owners and managers who
agreed to participate in this study. This thesis would not have been possible without these
people’s kind willingness to give up their time to talk to me.
At the end, thanks to you, reader. If you are reading this line after the others, you at least read
a part of my thesis. Thank You.
PRELIMINARIES
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABELS ..................................................................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF FIGUERS .................................................................................................................................................. viii
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH .................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ..................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 7
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................ 9
1.6 ORGANISATION OF STUDY .............................................................................................................................. 11
1.6.1 PART 1 - INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 11
1.6.2 PART 2 - BACKGROUND LITERATURE ...................................................................................................... 11
1.6.3 PART 3 - METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 11
1.6.4 PART 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................................................................... 12
1.6.5 PART 5 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................. 12
1.7 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................. 13
2.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 15
2.2 SOCIAL MEDIA................................................................................................................................................. 18
2.2.1 BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ORGANISATIONS ................................................................................ 18
2.2.2 SOCIAL VISUALISATION ........................................................................................................................... 21
2.2.3 CONCERNS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA .......................................................................................................... 21
2.3 SUSTAINABILITY .............................................................................................................................................. 23
2.3.1 IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT CSR ..................................................................................................................... 25
PRELIMINARIES
v
2.3.2 IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CONTEXT ......................................................................................................... 26
2.3.3 GREEN PRACTICES ................................................................................................................................... 27
2.4 SOCIAL MEDIA AND SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................................................. 29
2.4.1 IMPLICIT / EXPLICIT CSR and SOCIAL MEDIA ........................................................................................... 33
2.4.2 HONEST COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................................... 33
2.5 IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 35
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................................... 36
2.7 CONCLUSION TO THIS CHAPTER ..................................................................................................................... 39
3.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 43
3.2 JUSTIFICATION OF RESEARCH METHODS ....................................................................................................... 44
3.2.1 PURPOSE OF RESEARCH .......................................................................................................................... 44
3.2.2 INTERPRETIVIST APPROACH .................................................................................................................... 45
3.2.3 QUALITATIVE METHODS .......................................................................................................................... 47
Quantitative Research ................................................................................................................................. 48
Qualitative Research .................................................................................................................................... 48
3.2.4 CASE STUDIES .......................................................................................................................................... 49
3.2.5 INTERVIEWS............................................................................................................................................. 50
3.3 RESEARCH PARADIGM .................................................................................................................................... 52
3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN .......................................................................................................................................... 53
3.4.1 PLANNING AND CREATION OF RESEARCH ............................................................................................... 53
SELECTION AND STUDY OF CASES IN CONTEXT ........................................................................................... 55
SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS ...................................................................................................................... 56
3.5 DATA COLLECTION METHODS ........................................................................................................................ 58
3.6 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 60
3.7 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................. 61
4.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 63
4.2 STAGE 1 – CASES ............................................................................................................................................. 65
4.2.1 CASE 1 – LEVI STRAUSS & CO. ................................................................................................................. 65
4.2.2 CASE 2 – BBVA ......................................................................................................................................... 68
4.2.3 CASE 3 – eBAY ......................................................................................................................................... 70
PRELIMINARIES
vi
4.2.4 CASE 4 – DANONE ................................................................................................................................... 72
4.2.5 CASE 5 – GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE) ........................................................................................................... 74
4.2.6 CASE 6 – PEPSI CO ................................................................................................................................... 77
4.2.7 CASE 7 – FORD ......................................................................................................................................... 79
4.2.8 CASE 8 – MARKS & SPENCER ................................................................................................................... 82
4.2.9 CASE 9 – FedEx ........................................................................................................................................ 84
4.2.10 CASE 10 – MICROSOFT .......................................................................................................................... 87
4.2.11 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS FROM CASES .................................................................... 89
BlogZine Formats ......................................................................................................................................... 89
Games, Apps and Maps ............................................................................................................................... 90
Emerging Channels ...................................................................................................................................... 90
Personalised Approach ................................................................................................................................ 91
Big Ideas ....................................................................................................................................................... 93
4.3 STAGE 2 – MALAYISAN VIEWS ........................................................................................................................ 94
4.3.1 PRESENTING RELEVENT INFORMATION ONLINE ..................................................................................... 94
4.3.2 SHARING RIGHT CONTENT WITH RIGHT AUDIENCE ................................................................................ 95
4.3.3 SIMPLICITY OF ACTION/JOINING FOR AUDIENCE .................................................................................... 96
4.3.4 SHARING AND INTERECTIVITY OPTIONS FOR AUDIENCES ...................................................................... 98
4.3.5 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS FROM INTERVIEWS ............................................................ 99
4.4 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................ 100
5.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................. 102
5.2 PROPOSED FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................................. 103
5.3 CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE RESEARCH PROBLEM ........................................................................................... 108
5.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ......................................................................................................................... 111
5.5 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGERS ................................................................................................................... 111
PRELIMINARIES
vii
LIST OF TABELS
Table 2-1: Definitions of CSR ................................................................................................................. 24
Table 2-2: Implicit and Explicit CSR ....................................................................................................... 26
Table 3-1: Overview of Research Paradigms ........................................................................................ 46
Table 3-2: List of Companies Selected for Cases................................................................................... 56
Table 3-3: Interview Questions ............................................................................................................. 59
PRELIMINARIES
viii
LIST OF FIGUERS
Figure 1-1 Different Social Media Tools for Different Business Processes ............................................. 3
Figure 1-2: Factors Influencing Change ................................................................................................... 9
Figure 2-1 Structure of Literature ......................................................................................................... 17
Figure 2- 2: Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................................... 37
Figure 3-1: Research Design .................................................................................................................. 54
Figure 4-1 Levi's Water<Less Campaign ................................................................................................ 66
Figure 4-2 Water.Org and Water<Less ................................................................................................. 66
Figure 4-3 Levi's Water<Less Perceptions ............................................................................................. 67
Figure 4-4 BBVA OpenMind Homepage ................................................................................................ 69
Figure 4-5 BBVA Friends&Family HomePage ........................................................................................ 70
Figure 4-6 Patagonia Campaign on eBay .............................................................................................. 71
Figure 4-7: Danone Social Business Networks ...................................................................................... 73
Figure 4-8: Danone "Down to Earth" Visual Presentation .................................................................... 74
Figure 4-9: An Example of GE's Infographics ........................................................................................ 76
Figure 4-10: GE HealthyShare Facebook App ....................................................................................... 77
Figure 4-11: Pepsi Refresh Project ........................................................................................................ 79
Figure 4-12: Ford Social......................................................................................................................... 80
Figure 4-13: Ford's Digital Maps ........................................................................................................... 81
Figure 4-14: Marks & Spencer Shwopping Page ................................................................................... 82
Figure 4-15: M&S Facebook Site ........................................................................................................... 83
Figure 4-16: FedEx Pinterest Contest .................................................................................................... 85
Figure 4-17: FedEx Route Optimization Game ...................................................................................... 85
Figure 4-18: FedEx Sustainable Future Infographic .............................................................................. 86
Figure 4-19: Microsoft YouthSpark Program ........................................................................................ 88
Figure 4-20: MNC's Twitter CSR Channels ............................................................................................ 92
Figure 5-1: Presenting Relevant Information ...................................................................................... 103
Figure 5-2: Sharing the Right Content with the Right Audience ......................................................... 104
Figure 5-3: Simplicity of Action / Joining for Audience ....................................................................... 105
Figure 5- 4: Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience............................................................... 105
Figure 5-5: Proposed Framework ....................................................................................................... 106
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1
o Background to the Research
o Problem Statement
o Research Questions
o Research Objectives
o Significance of Research
o Organisation of Study
o Conclusion
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
2
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH
In the recent past, many researchers and analysts have recommended that social media
technologies (blogs, social networking sites, mobile applications, wikis, forums and etc.) may
expedite organisational communication practices from other conservative computer
technologies like e-mails, instant messaging, video or audio conferencing and intranet
(Steinhuser, Smolnik, and Hoppe, 2011). The business press is full of many bold
proclamations such as: “Business Growth and Social Media”, “Social Media: What Most
Companies Don’t Know”, “How to Build Relationships using Social Media” and “The
Development Role of Social Media in the Modern Business World” (Forbes, 2013; Time,
2013; Harvard Business Review, 2013; Social Media Examiner, 2013). While firms may
have rapidly adopted social media for “marketing” and “public relations”, the implications of
such modern technologies in many key organisational processes have still yet not been well
explored by communication researchers. AOL executive Ted Leonsis used the term “Social
Media” for the first time in 1997 during an interview and commented that firms needed to
facilitate consumers with “social media communities or networks where they can be guided
and interact in social environment” (Bercovici, 2010). Later the second avatar of web (Web
2.0) was known as the “Social Web”, because it facilitated users to generate and publish
content easily. In the last decade, many famous social media sites and applications such as
Delicious (2003), MySpace (2003), LinkedIn (2003), Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005),
Twitter (2006), Instagram (2010), Pinterest (2010) and many others were launched and
showed completely different dimensions of business processes to organisations (Figure 1-1).
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
3
Figure 1-1 Different Social Media Tools for Different Business Processes
Source: tednguyenusa.com
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
4
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
In recent times it has been postulated that the main goal of organisations is not to
make profits alone but also to create a positive relationship with the environment (Melissa,
2009) and society also. This has been called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or
Corporate Responsibility (CR) or Responsible Business Practices and is now becoming a
must for most organisations. CSR/Sustainability is a non-financial goal that seeks to
intertwine the relationship between meeting economic, social and environment needs with the
future in mind (Figge, 2002). These CSR/sustainability efforts are to be practical and should
involve the relaying of information to the stakeholders (Langely, Ortt and Pals, 2010). These
efforts may be categorised into environmental, economic and social equity impacts. CSR has
advanced in stages. Changing times and consumer awareness are among the different reasons
that have led to increasing CSR practices. Changing communal values, consumer demands
and requisitions for the corporate entities to be morally and socially just and better
stewardship of the environment have seen the an evolution in CSR practice. Accounting
scandals at various institutions (for example Enron and WorldCom) have brought to the
surface the idea of transparency in the running of business organisations. Corporate bodies
have used formal written reports as a means of communicating their CSR and sustainability
strategies, in the past. The main disadvantages with this mode of communication include
dullness, time consumption, and inefficiency in distribution, wastage of materials and
resources and a non-interactive audience. It is felt that social media could overcome the
weaknesses of print media, which could be considered as dull in that it does not capture the
movement and sound necessary for appeal as compared to audio-visual tools like the internet.
Also print media could carry information that is outdated – it may not be as quick as internet
news sites. Also it is relatively time-consuming when compared to social media. Social media
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
5
could also provide consumers and other stakeholders first-hand and real-time information as
available on internet (Grevet and Mankoff, 2009).
Given the above discussion, social media can be seen to have a crucial role to play in
the sustainability efforts of an organisation. It has empowered the common people and given
them a sense that their voice matters. Social media technologies have completely changed the
way we act online and given every individual a belief that they can make a difference (Salo,
Lahteenoja and Lettenmeier, 2008).
While there is a lot of discussion online about social media and CSR’s it appears there
have not been many research studies conducted in this field of research. The research paper
aims to explore and identify the key areas of social media implications on CSR/sustainability
efforts.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
6
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The main research question analysed in this study is:
“To explore and identify the key areas of social media implications on
CSR/sustainability efforts.”
The sub-research questions:
1. Identifying the role of social media in influencing sustainable practices.
The aim of this research question is to investigate how leading global companies
have figured to turn this two-way communication platform to their advantage and
influenced their responsible business practices. This question will also explore
different social media themes/approaches to reflect a new dimension – how
sustainability is communicated effectively.
2. The influence of social media on firms in Malaysia
This question will present the views and perceptions of Malaysian CSR
practitioners (experts, researchers, academicians, consultants) and business
executives about trends in social media and its effectiveness to influence
responsible business practices.
3. To propose a model for organisations to use social media for their CSR
practices
This question will aid our overall understanding, proposing an operational model
or framework for organisations to have a positive impact on stakeholders related
to their sustainable business practices using social media technologies.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
7
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study is to establish the efficiency of social media in the
sustainability efforts of an organisation. Many organisations are embracing technology and
using it to express their views and corporate strategies, with a view to maximising profit and
interacting with their customers and other stakeholders. In the past, organisations relied on
print media, but with the advent of social media it has been quite easy and efficient.
Social media is quite different from the traditional media in that it is much faster, has
high quality, high frequency and the virtue of permanency. The amount of time spent by
internet users on social media has greatly increased, and more and more sites are being used
by communication executives. The role of this research is to look at the role of social media
in the context of CSR practices among business organisations. There are many terms these
days for CSR – including Corporate Responsibility (CR) or CSV. But in this report we use
the CSR to mean organisations’ concurrent fulfilment of economic, social and environmental
obligations (also known as sustainability or triple bottom line practices). The main aim is to
explore and understand the role of social media in terms of how it is used and how it
influences different aspect of CSR in business organisations.
The following objectives are set for the study:
1) The first objective is to investigate social media relationship with CSR and its role in
sustainable practices. It will include leading global firms on how they use social
media to communicate CSR and influence their responsible business activities. These
cases will help to reveal interesting ways (themes/approaches) in which social media
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
8
is used as an interactive platform for practical communication and relying of
information related to CSR/sustainability practices with stakeholders.
2) Secondly, this research will explore what could be the role of social media on firms’
CSR practices in Malaysia – through the views and perceptions of CSR experts
(researchers, academicians, practitioners, consultants) and other business executives
working in Malaysia. It will aim to reveal their awareness and experiences about
social media practices to communicate or influence sustainable practices.
3) As most of the companies are still not sure how to process in engaging and
monitoring social media channels (Burson-Marsteller, 2013), the final objective is to
propose a framework for organisations to share their experiences about an initiative
and motivate other individuals to be active, participate and take action (Armstrong,
2007) – a framework that can help companies to have a positive sustainability impact
on stakeholders using social media tools.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
9
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH
Social media is set to play a crucial role in the sustainability efforts of an organisation.
It has empowered the common people and given them a sense that their voice matters and
influences firms to change their business practices (Figure 1-2). Social media technologies
have completely changed the way we act online and given every individual a belief that they
can make a difference.
Figure 1-2: Factors Influencing Change
Source: huffpost.com
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
10
This study will elaborate how leading global companies have figured to turn this two-
way communication platform to their advantage to influence their responsible business
practices. It will also present different social media themes/approaches to reflect a new
dimension – how sustainability is communicated effectively. Communication researchers in
Malaysia at first were slow to understand the potential of social media but in recent years
they have filled a huge gap. Hence, this study will also present the views and perceptions of
Malaysian CSR practitioners about trends in social media and its effectiveness to influence
responsible business practices.
Since there have not been any studies conducted in this field of research, this research
paper intends to create a precedence of a body of work, which can grade and identify the key
areas of social media implications on sustainability efforts.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
11
1.6 ORGANISATION OF STUDY
1.6.1 PART 1 - INTRODUCTION
This section is aimed to point up the background to the management project, plotting
the scene for this research topic, The Role of Social Media in Sustainability Oriented
Practices – An Exploratory Study, and research questions. Further, it justifies the significance
of the research and overall structure to assist the readers in finding out the objectives of this
study.
1.6.2 PART 2 - BACKGROUND LITERATURE
This section of the study presents a comprehensive literature review. It displays
maximum effort to acknowledge and inspect the existing literature. It starts with the pertinent
parent literature on sustainability and social media, gleaning and presenting the ideas
discussed in that literature. An attempt is made to analyse social media and its benefits, social
visualisations, benefits of social networks for organisations and concerns about social media.
This is followed by issues in literature related to “Social Media and Sustainability” and the
implications of social media and CSR. Drawing from some of the papers in research journals,
a conceptual framework from one of the papers is adapted and used to examine the role of
social media to influence sustainable business practices. This section ends with a conclusion
seeking to identify the significance of social media in the modern society.
1.6.3 PART 3 - METHODOLOGY
This part has been allocated for the explanation of methodology applied in this
research. It outlines the selection and justification of research methodology, research
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
12
paradigm, research design, data collection and data analysis methods and finally the
conclusion.
1.6.4 PART 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
This part reports and interprets the data for this study. Individual companies were
analysed and key respondents were interviewed using selection developed for this research in
Part 3 (Methodology). All the findings from selected cases and participants are discussed in
detail and compared according to the conceptual framework.
1.6.5 PART 5 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
This is the last section of report. In this section, a framework is proposed based on
complete findings as the contribution of the research in addressing research questions and
concludes with the limitations and potentials for future research related to this topic. In the
end, implications for managers on the use of social media to influence responsible business
practices are reported.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
13
1.7 CONCLUSION
In this chapter we have introduced the research topic: “The Role of Social Media in
Sustainability Oriented Practices – An Exploratory Study” and presented the basic
fundamentals to investigate it. This report proceeds as follows. An inclusive literature review
of the related disciplines is documented leading through “Methodology” and “Data Analysis
and Findings” in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 respectively. In the end, “Recommendations and
Conclusions” are documented in Chapter 5.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
14
o Introduction
o Social Media
o Sustainability
o Social Media and Sustainability
o Implications
o Conceptual Framework
o Conclusion to this Chapter
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
15
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Media is a fundamental constituent of society due to its role as a social institution
whereby the media can facilitate positive change in society. However, in recent times there
have been various criticisms of the media due to the emergence of private media. This can be
attributed to the rationale that private media is more concerned with profits than serving
society. This perspective has changed with the emergence of social media including
Facebook, blogs and Twitter, among other social platforms, whereby the institution of the
social mandate of the media is being rekindled. For instance, the influence of social media in
countries like Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea is evident in several crucial fields
including marketing and business, posting rapid growth in the sectors (Diamantopoulos. and
Winklhofer, 2001). Considering this role, this study explores the role of social media in
global organisations, to ensure that businesses adopt sustainable and responsible practices.
There has been extensive research and literature concerning the correlation between social
media and CSR (Mankoff et al., 2007). Previous studies focus on different aspects, including
communications and the relationship development with various stakeholders, in a transparent
way, and engaging constituents towards practices that are responsible. Firms should use
social media to communicate transparently with consumers concerning its goods among other
information concerning its operations (Cornelissen et al., 2008). Considering this dimension,
it is crucial to determine the role of social media in ensuring sustainability among firms. For
instance, Can social media develop into a social institution, which can ensure the
accountability of businesses, and make an actual impact? In order to determine the influence
of social media on society and in the corporate scenario, it is crucial to review parent
literature on social media and its role in the corporate world, sustainability and how social
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
16
media can drive sustainable behaviour. The literature section is presented as follows. First
key issues related to social media are discussed, followed by issues related to CSR or
sustainability, and finally papers related to CSR and social media are looked at to glean issues
and develop a framework for the study. Figure 2-1 outlines the structure of the literature.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
17
Sustainability (Responsible Business Practices)
Social Media
Implicit and Explicit CSR
Importance of Social Context
Benefits of Social Media for Organisations
Social Visualisation
Concerns about Social Media
Social Media and Sustainability
Implicit/Explicit CSR and Social Media
Honest Communication
PARENT LITERATURE
IMMEDIATE LITERATURE
Implications
Figure 2-1 Structure of Literature
Source: Prepared for this study
Green Practices
Conceptual Framework
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
18
2.2 SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is today a vital communication platform, as it has been integrated into
the social and corporate aspects of the society. The increased influence of the mass media in
the 20th century has been momentous and this has been cemented by the introduction of the
internet whereby communication has changed significantly, with society becoming fast
moving, informed and mobile (Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole, and Whitmarsh, 2007). The
introduction of social media has made information accessible to the masses and created a
platform for instantaneous reaction towards the information shared. Social media refers to a
platform where information is shared, created and transmitted using networks and virtual
communities. In addition, it is described as internet-based applications, which use the 2.0
Web foundations based on the concept of listening, learning and sharing. This technology is
highly interactive when compared to traditional media and the input of individuals who
access information through this platform is instantaneous. It is crucial to be aware that social
media does not refer only to Facebook and Twitter. Other web applications including wikis
and blogs are also prominent social media platforms.
2.2.1 BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ORGANISATIONS
The concept of social media is consistent with the sentiments of Westlake (2008) who
reflected on the translation of the readers' habits to involve participatory reading (Froehlich et
al., 2009). This means that readers can be active in contributing to the development of text on
the internet and any individual can generate an idea or topic, which will be developed further
using comments and other contributory communication. The unique features of social media
communication have allowed organisations and businesses to have an effective avenue to
interact with the community and the market. This has enabled communication in this area to
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
19
be two ways as opposed to the previous situation with traditional media. Despite the obvious
benefit of this approach, there has been a question about whether it is in the interest of
businesses to open themselves for feedback – the threat of unsolicited negative feedback from
the public domain. This can be detrimental especially when the business is not involved in the
developing conversation. The influence of social media is also present in the areas of
marketing and advertisement. Marketers can use these avenues to pass information about
products in order to create market awareness. This means that social media can have a direct
influence on the performance of an organisation as the communication about an organisation
in the social media can influence society’s perspective. The opinion of one user can influence
other individuals concerning a company, as some users are considerably more influential in
social media than others (Froehlich et al., 2009). The relevance of social media has changed
drastically over time and it is no longer considered a pastime for teenagers. According to
research by Harvard, 79 percent of the 2,100 companies interviewed currently use social
media platforms (Harvard Business Review, 2013). Their feedback on the benefits of this
platform included the following:
Social media increased the number of individuals visiting company websites.
There was an increase in awareness about the company from the public. The
perceptions of the companies were also influenced positively due to active
involvement in social media.
Companies also accessed insights into their markets, and the negative and positive
aspects of the company. This allows organisations to understand the needs of
consumers and the society better in the future.
Companies are also able to access early warning about social concerns when its
operations are involved. This will enable an organisation to adjust its operations
according to the requirements of society.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
20
However, according to Stabroeknews.com (2013), the adoption of social media is still
in a transition period. This means that organisations are still not sure about how best to utilise
this communication platform in their operations. This can be attributed to several challenges.
For instance, it has been difficult to quantify the impact of social media in business
performance. This has impeded companies from investing and committing to the use of this
communication avenue. Organisations are required to understand the dynamic behaviour of
consumers regarding social media. This will enable organisations to experience the benefits
of social media, leading to positive outcomes and sustainable practices. Froehlich et al.
(2009) explained that the effectiveness of social media in this perspective is questionable.
However, research was able to explore the perspective using several qualities of social media
that offer businesses and organisations an advantage. This approach identifies four
affordances of the technology, and these include visibility, association, editability and
persistence (Jeffrey, Treem and Paul, 2012). Social networks have developed significantly
(Geyer and Millen, 2010) and they also help employees to connect with each other within
organisations. The preferred systems may be used to encourage collaboration, increase the
engagement of users and to facilitate expertise development. The effectiveness of a social
network is dependent on the rationale of the connection and such connection on social
networks will guarantee that trust and collaboration is ensured. If this is not the case, then
there will be isolation of a group, in turn impeding the diffusion of information. This means
that organisations need to research the relationship between the social structures and
knowledge creation. In the journal by Shangapour, Hosseini, Hashemnejad (2010) the crucial
rule of cyber social networks to influence society is explained clearly. The article explores
the concept of social activism, which can be facilitated by social media. In this article, the
authors define social networks as open structures, which can be grown without any limits.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
21
This means that organisations can use this principle to facilitate the desired change in society.
The same avenue also empowers society to dictate their concerns to the corporate world,
safeguarding their interests in the process. This approach reiterates the plausibility of using
social media as an avenue of facilitating sustainable behaviour.
2.2.2 SOCIAL VISUALISATION
According to Mankoff and Grevet (2008), individuals can be encouraged to be
proactive in adopting sustainable behaviour by being shown how they contribute to
environmental degradation – for instance, if individuals are shown how their carbon footprint
contributes to environmental degradation. This will encourage individuals to adopt
sustainable behaviours in the long term. In order to create personal awareness, there should
be an interactive system that facilitates direct feedback between the individual and the
communicating parties. The article explores how social visualisation can be instrumental in
facilitating social change. Therefore, social visualisation creates an intuitive representation of
social interaction. Social networks with a predefined purpose will create an identity for the
virtual community formed. This will create a situation where strangers will cooperate in order
to achieve a goal. This is crucial in the quest for organisations to encourage sustainable
behaviour in society using the social media platform.
2.2.3 CONCERNS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
Despite the increasing prominence of social media, issues of privacy have been
discussed constantly. For instance, companies can collect market information about
consumers without their consent. In addition, there are concerns about the credibility of some
social media sources, such as wikis. This means that the content in such avenues cannot
always be trusted by society. Lack of credibility impedes the ability of an organisation to be a
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
22
social change agent. Despite these concerns, it is obvious that social media offer a consistent
and reliable information platform for the corporate world.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
23
2.3 SUSTAINABILITY
In order to understand sustainability, it is crucial to explore the role of the corporation
in society. Despite the consideration that organisations and businesses want to ensure
profitability and progressive growth, they also have a responsibility to stakeholders.
According to Grevet, and Mankoff (2009), stakeholders are not confined to investors but also
include society, workers and consumers. This means that an organisation has a responsibility
to ensure the well-being of all stakeholders in their mandate. Sustainability is an extensive
concept that varies from ecology to business and it edges with corporate social responsibility
(CSR) focusing on the advancement of living standard and also preserving natural and human
resources for next generations (Reilly, 2010). Prior studies have indicated that organisations
often opt for formally written reports to communicate its corporate sustainability initiatives.
According to the reports of Sustainable Life Media (2008), more than 30 percent of Global
Fortune 500 firms started issuing sustainability reports in 2007. This reporting refers to the
efforts of a company to ensure that the ethics and laws of business are being observed. This is
an indication of having a business culture that is consistent with the ethical and legal
standards in society. Also an organisation needs to be self-regulatory in order to ensure that
its practices are sustainable. Organisations are required to be proactive in ensuring social
good during its operations. This means that the operations of the organisation should go
beyond the interests of the organisation. Considering the experiences of companies like Nike,
who were accused of neglecting their social responsibilities by using sweatshops for
production, it is evident that CSR is a crucial aspect of business. Table 2-1 displays the major
authors and their views on the social responsibility of businesses until the beginning of the
21st century.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
24
Authors (year) Definitions/Views
Bowen (1953) The responsibilities of businessmen to follow those rules, to make those choices or
to execute such actions which are anticipated in terms of the objectives and ethics of
our society.
Davis (1960) Social responsibilities of organisations need to be matching with their social power.
Frederick (1960) The use of financial, environmental and human resources in such a way that the
whole society gets extreme benefits apart from the business entities and their
titleholders.
Eells and Walton
(1961)
Problems that arise when corporate enterprise casts its shadow on the social scene
and the ethical principles that ought to govern the relationships between the
corporation and society.
Johnson (1971) A socially responsible organisation is one whose decision-making personnel balance
an array of interests rather than struggling only for huge profits for its investors.
Eilbert and Parker
(1973)
The best technique to recognise social responsibility is to consider of it as a good
and respectable neighbour.
Eells and Walton
(1974)
The business executive must stay grounded in his thinking, open in his attitude and
able to take conclusive actions that are at once lucrative and harmonious with the
acknowledged values of his society.
Sethi (1975) Being an essential part of society, corporates should justify social commitments,
social responsibility and social responsiveness.
Ackerman and
Bauer (1976)
Social responsibility is the business impact affecting the constituents of the
enterprise.
Carroll (1979) Suggested an early emphasis on economic, then legal and finally concern for ethical
and discriminatory aspects.
Jones (1980) Notion that corporations have an obligation to constituent groups and society other
than stockholders and beyond that prescribed by law and union contract.
Epstein (1987) Achieving outcomes from organisational decisions concerning specific issues that
have beneficial rather than adverse effects on pertinent corporate stakeholders.
Wood (1991) Moral responsibilities of individual managers to make ethical decisions are the most
basic of CSR components, followed by the organisation's obligation to obey social
and legal norms.
Table 2-1: Definitions of CSR
Source: Suman Sen (2011)
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
25
2.3.1 IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT CSR
Sustainable practices have gained prominence due to globalisation. Despite the
popularity of CSR and sustainable practices, it is not definite that the practice will expand
globally. There are several assumptions concerning the implementation of CSR in different
regions. For instance, it is assumed that in countries where there are weak regulations, then
there will be voluntary actions from the corporate, which ensure that the stakeholder
relationship prevails (Kolk and Perego, 2008). Considering the effect of globalisation, it is
apparent that different countries have diverse policies on CSR (Hiss, 2009). There are regions
with weak policies, which do not require organisations or corporates to be involved in social
responsibility or consider the needs of the stakeholders. In this scenario, the organisations
must be proactive in promoting sustainable practices in order to bolster stakeholder
relationships.
In order to understand the significance of sustainability in different global situations,
it is crucial to differentiate implicit and explicit CSR. Implicit CSR includes the values,
norms and rules that dictate that an organisation respect the interests of the stakeholders
(Garriga and Mele, 2004). In this scenario, the incentives realised from the voluntary CSR
practices are limited due to an existing number of initiatives by the state or other social
partners. These initiatives include healthcare, pensions and vocational training among others
(Hiss, 2009). In addition, implicit CSR is motivated by the consensus in a society on what is
considered legitimate (Jespersen, 2003). This is a contrast with explicit CSR where it refers to
the efforts of a corporate through its policies to increase ecological and social sustainability.
This involves programmes, strategies and policies that are voluntary and are motivated by the
expectations perceived by the stakeholders (Hall and Soskice, 2001). These activities are
usually labelled clearly as the actions of an organisation to promote sustainable practices.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
26
This means that the organisations assume the responsibility of society through their
initiatives. According to Matten and Moon (2008), the system of corporate governance in
Europe is consistent with implicit CSR. However, in cases where there are liberal economies
explicit CSR is favoured. Distinguishing implicit and explicit CSR is crucial in the effort to
understand sustainable practice in corporates globally (Table 2-2).
Explicit CSR Implicit CSR
Describes all corporate activities to assume
responsibility in society
Describes all formal and informal institutions
of a society that assign and define the extent
of corporate responsibility for the interests of
an entire society
Consists of voluntary corporate policies,
programmes and strategies
Consists of values, norms and rules that
result in (chiefly codified and mandatory)
requirements for corporations
Motivated by the perceived expectations of
all stakeholders of the corporation
Motivated by the societal consensus on the
legitimate expectations towards the role and
contribution of all major groups in society,
including corporations
Table 2-2: Implicit and Explicit CSR
Source: CSR as a dual construct, Jeremy Moon (2010)
2.3.2 IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CONTEXT
In CSR, the motives of the stakeholders involved in an organisation shape the
governance in the corporate. In order to understand the correlation of the stakeholders, the
social context is crucial in the perspective. This is attributed to the varying scenarios in
different countries influencing the approach of sustainable behaviour in the long term.
According to Gjølberg (2009), the manifestation of sustainability in corporate responsibility
is influenced by cultural, social and political factors (Kinderman, 2008). This means that in
order for an organisation to be successful in their efforts to promote sustainability, they must
be aware of the aforementioned factors and incorporate them in their perspective of social
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
27
responsibility. This will ensure that the efforts to create a positive relationship with the
stakeholders are bolstered by an appropriate approach. Understanding the scenarios in
different regions is crucial in ensuring that the CSR conforms to the values and legal
requirements of the region hence ensuring positive outcomes for the organisation in the long
term (Hall and Soskice, 2001).
2.3.3 GREEN PRACTICES
In the recent scenario, the issue of pollution and sustainable energy has been a crucial
consideration for businesses. This has resulted in businesses adopting green practices in order
to reduce environmental degradation. This means encompassing business practices that
reduce the negative impact of organisations on the environment. This also includes
encouraging society to be proactive in protecting the environment through initiatives. Some
of the actions taken by global companies in this perspective include sustainable energy
practices, reduced pollution, supporting environmental initiatives among other environmental
friendly practices.
The significance of sustainable behaviour is evident in the study by David Langley
and Tijs van den Broek, who state that most consumers respond positively to sustainability.
The interests of the modern consumer are based on sustainable behaviour and balancing the
life quality. According to the article, several barriers to behaviour are environmentally
sustainable. This includes scepticism, lack of knowledge and interest, blame and helplessness
among other impediments. Considering disasters including the British Petroleum (BP) oil
spills and other negative publicity in the corporate arena, companies and business are
encouraged to share their progress and achievements with the public. This will create a
positive rapport with the public and entrench a culture of sustainability in the long term. In
addition, companies should be encouraged to be committed to CSR. This will require
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
28
constant communication with the public, who are the key stakeholders of CSR initiatives.
This will ensure that the interests of society are considered in the mandate of organisations.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
29
2.4 SOCIAL MEDIA AND SUSTAINABILITY
Media in the contemporary scenario has developed to take up crucial mandates in
society. The relevance of media as a social institution is evident in the media assuming
various roles that were once reserved for traditional institutions, including schools and
churches (Daly, Geyer and Millen, 2010). According to Art Silverblatt (2004), the private
ownership model has impeded this role, with the media becoming egocentric in nature in that
the primary objective is the realisation of profits. This is evidenced by the content in the
media being centred on violence and sex in order to attract large audiences. Considering this
situation, Silverblatt (2004) explores the functions of social institutions. For instance, it is
stated that social institution should offer individual membership into a grouping. In addition,
the social institution should provide access to other groups. This, in turn, unifies diverse
groups and establishes an order in society (Langley and van den Broek, 2010). Social
institutions also define the values and threshold for success in society. They also facilitate
change and encourage society to embrace the same. A social institution also educates,
motivates and directs society. Considering these roles, it is evident that the media will have a
positive influence on society when its role as a social institution is re-established.
As aforementioned, the increased influence of the mass media in the 20th century has
been momentous. The introduction of social media has made information accessible to the
masses and has created a platform for instantaneous reaction towards the information shared.
This has created a new form of media whereby the interests of the masses can be ensured
(Garrett, 2006). This shift has created a situation where social media can re-establish the role
of a social institution (Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe, 2007). This is a significant
development considering that western media was previously preoccupied with profitability,
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
30
ignoring its crucial role as a social institution. The increased prominence of social media has
provided organisations with a new and revolutionary approach for communicating with the
market. This is crucial in the perspective of developing sustainable practices in organisational
culture. According to Reilly and Weirup (2010), organisations in the current scenario are
looking to meet the social and environmental needs of the society. This can be achieved
through communication in the organisational culture and its intersection with organisational
needs. For instance, the emergence of global warming and other environmental issues have
necessitated organisations and businesses to adopt green practices.
Sustainable initiatives are realised when there is an intersection between the culture,
strategy and change in an organisation (Reilly and Weirup, 2010). Organisational culture is
crucial in ensuring sustainable practices. This means that all levels of an organisation should
be proactive to ensure sustainable practices. Despite the broadness of the term
“sustainability”, it can be attributed to the mandate of CSR in ensuring the preservation of
human and natural resources. This is evident in several initiatives including recycling, green
manufacturing and corporate philanthropy. In order for the sustainability culture of
organisations to be effective, it is crucial for the organisation to communicate these initiatives
with the public (Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole, and Whitmarsh, 2007). Social media offers an
effective and reliable channel to communicate the sustainability initiatives. This includes
platforms like Facebook, Twitter and blogs among other social media platforms. According
to research, the impact of a company’s use of social media will be appraised using a triple
bottom line. As social media offers instantaneous feedback, it is easy for an organisation to
determine the reception of the public towards their services or products (Ehrlich and Shami,
2010). Therefore, communication using social media platform should be encompassed into
the organisational culture of firms. Some of the approaches used by organisations to satisfy
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
31
this include the use of mission and vision statements. In addition, social media can be used
for positive behaviours among stakeholders, including the staff or the public.
Allowing for these possibilities, it is crucial to link sustainability with social media
(Boyd, 2010). This can be achieved using the context of organisational culture and change. In
order to determine this, several variables need to be considered – for instance the influence of
leadership change on sustainable practices in the size of the organisation. According to
research by Reilly and Weirup, the organisational culture is crucial in determining the
commitment of an organisation towards sustainable practices. An organisation that has
entrenched sustainable practices into their culture will be involved more in ensuring
sustainable practices (Daly, Geyer, and Millen, 2010). If the organisational culture supports
innovations, it is likely that the organisation will entrench other innovations into its culture.
Therefore, the research reiterates that communication using social media has a positive
influence on sustainable business practices since organisations will be able to share their
achievements in the same. According to Reilly (2009), the performance of organisations
should not be confined to financial performance. Responsible leadership in organisations
should ensure that there is sustainability in the mandate of an organisation. This means
ensuring that the social and environmental needs of society are being addressed and
communicated properly as per the mandate of the organisation. This leads to the importance
of CSR and its relationship with social media. The article states that most organisations use
social media in order to promote CSR initiatives. The article reiterates the strategic
advantages of facilitating sustainable behaviour using social media. This means that the
organisation should be proactive in exploiting the benefits of social media in promoting
sustainable behaviour by engaging the public.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
32
In their article, Jeffrey W. Treem and Paul M. Leonardi (2013) reiterated the growing
importance and use of social media in modern society. According to them, the use of these
platforms has become integral in organisational communication. Treem and Leonardi (2012)
also identified the link between social media and organisational communication. This
approach identified four affordances of the technology – visibility, association, editability
and persistence. The journal attempts to determine how the affordances can be used to
influence knowledge sharing, power process and socialisation in organisations. Visibility in
the perspective involves the ability of social media to make the preferences, knowledge and
behaviours of an entity visible to other individuals (Grevet and Mankoff, 2009). According to
research, if the public is not aware that information relevant to some cause or initiative exists
or if it has difficulty to access such information, it will not pursue this information. Social
media has addressed this perspective by making information visible and accessible for the
public. Interviews including a sample of 40 employees stated that visibility was influenced
positively by social media. This premise can be attributed to the appeal of social media for
being open-sourced (Hennig-Thurau, Henning, and Sattler, 2007). In addition, persistence
was cited as a benefit of social media during communication. This means that the
communication remains accessible even after the presentation and does not disappear or
expire with time. Stakeholders can have easy access to the relevant information using social
media platforms as it is not time barred; hence, it helps organisations to create a common
ground during communication. Editability allows for the information in these platforms to be
updated and corrected, making it relevant to the required situation. This makes the
communication more effective in different situations involving corporations. Finally, social
media allows for the creation of associations. This includes social ties and the association
between an individual and the information provided.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
33
2.4.1 IMPLICIT / EXPLICIT CSR and SOCIAL MEDIA
In order for social media to be used effectively in the promotion of sustainable
behaviour, it is crucial for organisations to be aware of the legal and cultural differences in
different regions. Despite the universal nature of social media, the values and laws of the
targetted region influence the content and communication. Considering this, it is crucial to be
aware if the conditions favour implicit or explicit CSR. In the case of implicit CSR, the
communication in social media will include values, norms and rules that dictate that an
organisation respect the interests of stakeholders. In this scenario, communication has to be
sensitive to the social and legal aspects of the region. In addition, the communication of
implicit CSR is motivated by the consensus in a society on what is considered legitimate and
acceptable (Bohle and Greskovits, 2010). This is a contrast with explicit CSR where it refers
to the efforts of a corporate through its policies to increase ecological and social
sustainability. According to Maignan and Ralston (2002), in the US 53 percent of companies
actively mentioned their involvement in CSR on their websites. This information is crucial
for the research since it avoids the generalisation of the use of social media in promoting
sustainability. The two approaches will dictate the nature of the communication used by
organisations through social media. Therefore, the distinction between the two perspectives
of CSR is essential in the efforts to promote sustainable behaviour using social media.
2.4.2 HONEST COMMUNICATION
According to the Climate Change Communication Advisory Group (2010), there are
several communication approaches that can be utilised effectively to communicate on the
significance of climate change. In order to change the perception of the public, it is crucial for
the communicators to consider seven principles of effective communication. One of the
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
34
principles that are encouraged is that individuals should think beyond social marketing.
According to the article, it will be difficult to encourage sustainable change in society if there
is a focus on selling behavioural changes. In addition, honesty about the effects on the
climate is required in the communication. This means that organisations should avoid
perpetrating fear or guilt among the targeted populations. Instead, the communication should
motivate the individual to adopt sustainable behaviour in order to address the changes that are
being experienced. Organisations should honestly communicate to stakeholders about
changes that might affect them in future. There should also be avoidance of over emphasising
that may be experienced by society when climate change is mitigated. This also includes
avoiding exploiting green consumerism for economic benefits. The communication should
ensure that the population is emotionally engaged in the communication. According to the
article, the authors emphasise the need to harness the influence of social networks in order to
promote pro-environment behaviour. This is consistent with the mandate of social media as a
tool of social change. The article states that social networks will facilitate the bridging of the
disconnection between corporate and public entities.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
35
2.5 IMPLICATIONS
Communication theorists argue that social media influences business. This premise
has seen the platform being adopted by organisations rapidly. According to a survey by
McKinsey, 65 percent of organisations in the modern market use Web 2.0 technologies. In
addition, it is predicted that corporate spending on social media will exceed $4.6 billion
yearly (Silverblatt, 2004). Considering the aforementioned statistics, it is evident that social
media is being integrated into corporate communication. Despite this development, the
influence of social media on the performance of the organisation has not been
comprehensively established. Therefore, it is crucial to study the emerging research on the
topic. This involves treating social media as a different media class. This will mean defining
social media and differentiating it from other communication technologies used in
organisations. According to the definition by Ted Leonsis (1997), social media depicts a
channel where individuals can communicate, be entertained and participate actively (Miller,
Fabian and Lin, 2009). This definition is consistent with various social media platforms,
including Facebook and Twitter.
There were several implications concerning the outcomes of the use of social media
on sustainable behaviour. For instance, sustainable initiatives carried out online will pressure
other companies to follow suit. This will change the organisational behaviour of companies in
the region to involve sustainable initiatives benefiting the public (Beenen et al., 2004). There
will also be implications for the public whereby the availability of information and pressure
from participants will increase the number of individuals participating in sustainable
initiatives (Bandura, 2001). This means that social media can be an instrumental agent of
social change; this compliments the function of the media as a social institution.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
36
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Based on the literature examined in the previous section, key issues are gleaned to
develop a conceptual framework for the study. This section presents the framework adapted
for this study.
The starting point for this research is the study from David Langley and Tijs van den
Broek (2010), who state two social developments: the increasing interests of society and
communities in responsible business behaviour of organisations and the increasing trend of
social media tools. According to them, consumers respond positively to sustainability if these
two concepts (social media and sustainability) are aligned; then there will be a large-scale
transformation in social behaviour. This perspective includes an outlook on two barriers to
sustainable behaviour. These behaviours include “Fatalism” and “Busyness”. Fatalism
involves the lack of belief experienced in large communities comprising potential participants
(businesses) that specific sustainability efforts will have an important impact. On the other
hand, busyness refers to the situation where the priorities of the majority of the population
(lack of time and energy) are not consistent with the sustainable behaviour that is being
sought (Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole, and Whitmarsh, 2007). This is crucial in determining
whether social media develops into a social institution, which can ensure the accountability of
businesses.
Taking this as a starting concept, the conceptual model analyses whether social media
encourages the encompassing of social and environmental issues into business strategies. One
of the theories that will be consistent with the conceptual framework is that social media can
be instrumental in overcoming fatalism; and develop into a social institution. This is possible
by “Presenting Relevant Information/Achievements Online” and “Sharing Right Content
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
37
with Right Audience”. This form of online presentation is vital for businesses and together
leads to a better “Social Media Optimization” stimulating participation among the sceptical
segments of the population (Langley, 2010). Next, “Simplicity of Action” to join any cause
and better “Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience” will also stimulate individuals
who were previously busy in assisting the existing participants of an initiative. It helps
participants to share their experiences about an initiative and other individuals will be
motivated to be active in a particular cause (Armstrong, 2007). The relations and variables of
the aforementioned theories present in the conceptual model (Figure 2-2).
Social Media Optimisation
Presenting Relevant
Information/Achievements
Online
Sharing Right Content with
Right Audience
Change in Behaviours
Simplicity of Action/Joining for Audience
Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience
X1
X2
X4
X3
Y1
Y2
Sustainability Impact
Figure 2- 2: Conceptual Framework
Source: Prepared for this study
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
38
The figure represents the process whereby the communication of an organisation
using social media can transform a sustainable change. X1 and X2 will be key to overcome
“Fatalism”, whereas X3 and X4 are vital to overcome the “Busyness”; and together they
lead to a sustainable change as Y1 and Y2 (Figure 2-2). This means that social media can
become a social institution and driver for the required change among the society. This
research uses this model to investigate the practices of global firms and Malaysian
perspectives. Learnings from these cases and interviews will help to explore all independent
variables in detail and propose an operational model in the end.
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
39
2.7 CONCLUSION TO THIS CHAPTER
This chapter explored the significance of social media in modern society. A detailed
analysis of information from various literature was explored in order to determine the
influence of social media on sustainable practices. The emergence of social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter and other Web 2.0 (social web) tools have revolutionised
communication in the modern scenario. For instance, the influence of social media is obvious
in several crucial business processes including marketing, sales, PR and HR; and has led to
rapid growth in the sectors. In recent times, communication experts have been trying to
overcome different barriers to a sustainable change in society; and observe if social media
tools can be a part of this change. In order to determine the influence of social media on
society and in the corporate scenario, the literature review of the research explored three
perspectives.
One of the aspects reviewed in this section was on social media, and its importance in
modern times. The chapter highlighted the influence of Web 2.0 technologies in corporate
communication as a medium that enables instantaneous reaction from the engaging parties. It
established an argument that in order for effective two-way communication with
stakeholders, businesses must be aware of the significance of social media. In addition, the
concept of social visualisation/activism was reviewed to explore the open structure of social
media that can be used to facilitate the desired change in society (Shangapour, Hosseini,
Hashemnejad, 2010). The literature on social media recognised the importance of social
media to encourage individuals to be protective in adopting any change (Mankoff and Grevet,
2008). Some issues related to social media – negative feedbacks, lack of credibility,
authenticity and transparency – were also discussed. Background studies showed that social
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
40
media can be a double-edged sword for organisations and one user can easily influence other
individuals concerning the whole company (Froehlich et al., 2009). Hence, it is crucial for
companies to adopt social media strategies and engage stakeholders, as it will help them to
change their views and perceptions about the responsible business practices of business.
Secondly, this chapter explored sustainability, as a 60-year old American corporate
concept. In last 60 years, the corporate world has seen different names for it – Sustainability,
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Creating Shared Value (CSV), Responsible Business
Practices (RBP) and a few others. A latest dual construct based on implicit and explicit CSR
elements was also discussed. This clarified that, in simple words, sustainability is about doing
something good every day. It is a practice that makes companies focus on the advancement of
living standard and preserve natural and human resources for next generations to produce an
overall positive impact on society (Reilly, 2010). The literature showed that most consumers
and stakeholders respond positively to sustainability (David Langley and Tijs van den Broek,
2008), so it is vital for companies to tell their stories and share their experiences to influence
stakeholders. It also clarified that an organisation must be aware of cultural, social and
political factors to promote sustainability. Previous studies revealed that 30 percent of Global
Fortune 500 firms started issuing sustainability reports in 2007 (Sustainable Life Media,
2008). Background literature also indicated one-way communication, lack of knowledge and
interest and disbelief as major problems for this kind of reporting (David Langley and Tijs
van den Broek, 2008; Kinderman, 2008) and indicated that firms need constant
communication medium/approach to relay information to stakeholders.
This section further explored literature on the correlation between social media and
sustainability. Previous studies disclosed that private media has become egocentric and its
content is being centred on violence and sex only to gain profits (Art Silverblatt, 2004). The
CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND LITERATURE
41
literature showed that a few researchers believed that social media can re-establish its role as
a social institution (Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe, 2007) as it offers an effective and reliable
channel to communicate the sustainability initiatives with stakeholders (Lorenzoni,
Nicholson-Cole, and Whitmarsh, 2007). Social media will change the organisational
behaviour of companies to involve sustainable initiatives benefitting the public (Beenen et al.,
2004). The chapter also highlighted the implications of companies using social media for
sustainable initiatives and showed the influence of this approach. This chapter depicted social
media as a channel where individuals can communicate and participate actively; pressure
from participants increases the number of individuals participating in sustainable initiatives
(Miller, Fabian and Lin, 2009). Although the importance of social media to create a positive
sustainable impact in society has been discussed by many researchers, still further research
and insight is required when determining the influence of social media on sustainable
behaviour and on how companies can use the communication platform effectively.
Finally, based on the literature examined, key issues were gleaned in this chapter to develop a
conceptual framework for the study.
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o Introduction
o Justification of Research Methods
o Research Paradigm
o Research Design
o Data Collection Methods
o Data Analysis
o Conclusion
CHAPTER 3
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3.1 INTRODUCTION
In order to determine the role of social media in encouraging sustainability-oriented
practices, it is crucial for the research to gather credible data and ascertain the arguments of
the research. This chapter provides research with strategies to collect data and analyse it with
existing facts to create a valid theory on the topic. This chapter proceeds as follows.
Following the justification of research methods, it outlines research paradigm, research
design, data-collection methods and data analysis.
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3.2 JUSTIFICATION OF RESEARCH METHODS
The purpose of this section is to rationalise the research strategies used in this study.
There are detailed descriptions in the subsections discussing the purpose of the research and
the rationale behind the chosen paradigm. There is also a description of the rationale behind
the qualitative research approach, case study justification and the preference of the interview
study approach.
3.2.1 PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
The three different types of business research studies are descriptive, exploratory and
casual/explanatory (Churchill, 1999). The degree to which an adequate knowledge of the
research topic has been set dictates the study’s nature (Sekaran, 2003).
Descriptive research provide a visual representation using numbers or words and
delivers a profile, classifications or a sequential outline to be used in answering research
questions such as who, where, how and when (Neuman, 2006). Descriptive research is not
keen on exploring new ideas, but instead focuses on giving the descriptions of phenomena.
The primary purpose of casual research is to explain why events take place. This is
achieved by a definition of the cause-and-effect association among the variables. The use of
such studies is instrumental when a well-documented research problem is already available
(Zikmund, 2003). In addition, the discovered connection is useful to comprehend and forecast
the outcomes of the problem being analysed.
Exploratory research is different from both casual and descriptive research.
Exploratory research is employed in the initial stages of research to have a better
comprehension of the research problem. According to Wong (1999), in-depth investigations
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during exploratory research are used to narrow a broad problem into sub-problems that are
well defined.
In this research, existing knowledge was instrumental to provide significant insights
on the research theme. To explore and investigate the influence of social media on
sustainable business practices further, the exploratory approach seemed feasible and this can
be refined and tested in future studies through descriptive or casual research.
3.2.2 INTERPRETIVIST APPROACH
A research paradigm is crucial since it provides the researcher with an understanding
or perspective of the world. This is crucial in determining what problems are influential. In
addition, a researcher is also able to determine what methods are effective and available to
tackle the research problem (Perry and Cavaye, 2004). According to Lincoln and Guba
(1994), the paradigm identified for the research will provide a guide for the researcher to
identify a methodology that is consistent with his or her perspective of the world.
According to the research question, the basic belief system is referred to as ontology.
This is the researcher’s perception of what is real. In research language, the worldview in this
perspective is termed as epistemology. This is the relationship between the researcher and
reality.
Several perspectives exist in a research paradigm and these have been identified by
several authors. According to Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Lowe (1991), group paradigms
such as positivist and phenomenological (interpretivist) approaches are based on inductive
and deductive orientation. According to the summaries of Lincoln and Guba (1994) and
Perry, Riege and Brown (1999), paradigms include constructivism, critical theory, positivism
and realism. Jennings (2002) proposed six paradigms – the post-modern approach, critical
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theory orientation, positivism, feminist perspectives, the interpretive social science approach
and chaos theory. As detailed discussion on each category is beyond the scope of this
research, two key paradigms (positivist and phenomenological approaches) are shown in the
table below (Table 3-1).
Table 3-1: Overview of Research Paradigms
Source: Adapted from Lyon (2003, p. 91), Bryman (1998, p. 94), Creswell (2003, p. 5), Easterby et al. (1991, p. 27)
CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
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Considering the positivist perspective of the world, there is a belief that information
about the external world can be collected through a specified collection of methods
(Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, and Lowe, 1991). Positivists are mostly concerned to confirm the
feasibility of theories (Deshpande, 1983). They are less interested in the development,
discovery, or context of discovery (Lincoln and Guba, 1985, p. 25). The paradigm uses
qualitative methods including surveys and controlled environments to test provided
hypotheses in this perspective (Tsoukas, 1989). The positivist approach was not appropriate
for this research due to the deficiency of existing theories on the research topic, and this
research investigated a link between social media and sustainability to develop and propose a
new model for organisation. Thus, this paradigm was not appropriate for this study.
Background studies on the research problem revealed an ontological observation
about multiple perspectives influencing social media on organisational practices due to the
lack of existing research. From an epistemological viewpoint, this study required the
researcher to interpret the successful and best available examples and interact with informants
to acquire detailed knowledge of the topic. This dictates that the insight of the research will
be subjective. Due to an exploratory aspect of theory building and a subjective approach, an
interpretivist paradigm appeared to be more appropriate for the topic (Jennings, 2001).
3.2.3 QUALITATIVE METHODS
Research designs can be split into two divisions of methodologies – the qualitative
and quantitative approaches (Ticehurst and Veal, 2000). These approaches have
distinguishing characteristics and are effective in different situations. The aim of this section
is to justify the use of a qualitative approach in favour of quantitative.
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Quantitative Research
Quantitative research relies on statistics and its main focus is to measure, confirm or
validate the connection between research variables; all together it helps research to develop
generalisations and contribute to theory (Denzin, Norman, and Lincoln, 2003; Leedy and
Ormrod, 2005). The perspective depends on numerical data collected from a large audience.
This approach is effective in analysing data and determining the appropriate conclusion about
a population (Ticehurst and Veal, 2000).
Qualitative Research
This can be defined as an approach that tries to explore, interpret or decode
phenomena in terms of real meaning rather than the rate of recurrence (Maanen, 1983). The
approach allows an individual to gather information and explore it deeply. This requires a
format that is less structured and the respondents of the study are fewer than in quantitative
research (Bellenger, Bernhardt, and Goldtucker, 1989).
In addition, qualitative research is inclined to words as opposed to figures (Neuman,
1994). In contrast to quantitative research, qualitative research develops theories rather than
making generalisations. This allows the gathering of detailed information on a research
problem (Eisenhardt, 1989). According to Ticehurst and Veal (2000), the benefits of
qualitative research are in summary as follows.
I. This method enables the researcher to comprehend and explain an individual’s
experience.
II. There is an emphasis on the comprehension and interpretation of individuals, which
can be applied in narrow studies that examine a situation holistically.
III. This method enables a researcher to see the research through the viewpoint of the
participants.
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IV. This approach combines techniques and may even invent methods to analyse social
situations and focus on issues of human interest crucial for managers.
Qualitative research is appropriate for a study based on the advantages. For instance,
the study requires a strategy that gathers rich information and comprehends the situations
involved in the study. This includes the Global Trends and Malaysian perspective in the use
of social media in encouraging sustainable practices. In addition, there is limited research on
the topic. Finally, the approach is convenient for answering questions on what and how
(Flick, Karloff, and Steinke, 2004).
3.2.4 CASE STUDIES
The term “Research Methodology” refers to an approach developed or used to
determine reality (Perry, Riege, and Brown, 1999); though, it is crucial to ensure that the
methodology compliments the problem being analysed. The aim of this part is to justify the
case study approach used to explore the research problem. Perry (2001) defines case research
as follows:
It is an analysis of a dynamic and contemporary phenomenon with an
emerging knowledge body (Bonoma, 1985; Chetty, 1996; Eisenhardt, 1989;
Gable, 1994; Romano, 1989; Yin, 1994).
It occurs in an actual context where the boundaries between the study and the
reality are unclear (Bonoma, 1985; Chetty, 1996; Stake, 1994; Yin, 1994).
Case studies include the elucidation of causal links that are complex for
experimental methods (Eisenhardt, 1989; McGuire, 1997); however, clear
outcomes are impossible (McGuire, 1997).
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It employs observations and interviews among other approaches including
multiple data sources (Bonoma, 1985; Perry, 1998a; Robson, 1993).
According to Miles and Huberman (1994), qualitative data, obtained from case
studies, provide the required explorations of views, perceptions, meanings and
presuppositions within a business or social perspective. The flexible interaction of data
allows for theory construction, which is crucial for the research. As mentioned in Chapter 1,
the objective of this study is to explore and identify the key areas of social media implications
on CSR efforts by leading global firms. Qualitative data from cases will provide real
perceptions and meanings within social perspective, which makes the case study approach
appropriate for this research. The study of one case would have been insufficient to gain
sufficient knowledge vital to explore the research problem, so this research involves multiple
cases to have a better view. Multiple case studies help to make any research more valuable
and strong (Herriott and Firestone, 1983), and also indications from different case studies are
more compelling (Yin, 1994).
3.2.5 INTERVIEWS
Another key objective of this study is to explore and investigate the views of
Malaysian CSR practitioners (experts, researchers, executives and academicians). In order to
ensure efficiency in the research, the qualitative interviews technique is chosen to know the
views and perceptions of Malaysian CSR practitioners. Such interviews have the ability to
gain complete and accurate information and also provide the interviewer an opportunity to
communicate ideas with participants (Cannell and Kahn, 1968). Taylor and Bogdan (1998)
explain such opportunities as helping the researcher to explore experiences of participants
and also learn how interviewees link certain terms and theories to a concept. Interviews can
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justify trustworthiness, which is very significant to any qualitative technique, in terms of
precision, validity and consistency. Lincoln and Guba (1985) explained that trustworthiness
in the qualitative context involved:
Credibility
Transferability
Dependability
Conformability
The interview technique is selected to collect judgments from experts in the field and
then distilling this information to have a better view of the Malaysian context.
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3.3 RESEARCH PARADIGM
As justified in previous section, considering aim of the study, the research paradigm
will be inclined towards an exploratory nature. The research aims to explore the significance
of social media in encouraging sustainable practices. This will involve the analysis of case
studies to determine the feasibility of the approach in existing situations. This will require a
goal-oriented approach in order to answer the research questions effectively and achieve
objectives successfully. The following objectives were developed to conduct this study.
Objective 1: Identifying the role of social media in influencing sustainable practices
Objective 2: The influence of social media on firms in Malaysia
Objective 3: To propose a framework for organisations to use social media for their
CSR practices
It is hoped that the first and second objectives will provide an overall understanding
of social media and CSR practices and thus help to develop and propose a model or
framework that will help firms to have a positive impact on responsible business practices
using social media.
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3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.4.1 PLANNING AND CREATION OF RESEARCH
Planning for the research is crucial in order to ensure that the research is efficient and
intensive. This is consistent with the requirements of effective research methodology. In
order to achieve the above-mentioned research objectives, extensive literature was studied
and a conceptual framework was designed. Key variables and themes, from the conceptual
framework, were used to select global firms for further analysis. This analysis helped to
design a semi-structured questionnaire with the help of the conceptual framework; and used
to interview Malaysian CSR experts. Findings from both, cases and interviews, were further
analysed in detail to propose an operational framework that firms can use to have a positive
influence of their responsible business practices using social media. This research design is
presented in Figure 3-1.
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Figure 3-1: Research Design
Source: Prepared for this study
Introduction
Previous Studies
Framework
Global Cases
Malaysian Views & Perceptions
Findings
Proposed Model
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The stages used in the research creation and planning are outlined next.
SELECTION AND STUDY OF CASES IN CONTEXT
After looking at various companies that have used social media to great effect, ten
companies were selected for this study (Table 3-2). All these organisations have used social
media prominently to influence responsible business practices and stand high in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4GOOD rankings. These companies used
different approaches to communicate with the masses, based on their organisation strategy.
The approach of companies is spread across the various themes. The data relevant to cases
was collected through secondary resources such as the annual sustainability and
communication reports of the company.
A part from this, social media channels, sustainability groups (Yahoo, LinkedIn,
Quora), blogs, press releases and news articles were used to find the information relevant to
these cases. Some of the criteria that were used to determine these companies were:
How frequent do the companies update the social media channels?
How transparent are the companies in allowing comments from the users?
How authentic is the content in the media channels?
How innovative is the content?
How practical is the information on the media channels?
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No. Logo Name Sector
1
Levi Strauss Consumer Goods
2
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Financials
3
eBay Technology (Online Retailer)
4
Danone Food Processing
5
General Electric Industrial Goods and Services
6
Pepsi Co. Consumer Goods (Beverages –
Soft Drinks)
7
Ford Automotive
8
Marks & Spencer Consumer Goods
9
FedEx Courier
10
Microsoft Technology
Table 3-2: List of Companies Selected for Cases
Source: Prepared for this study
SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS
The research will also attempt to determine the awareness of Malaysian CSR and
senior business executives about social media in encouraging sustainable practices in
Malaysia. As depicted in Figure 3-1, major themes, trends and concepts emerging from the
case analysis will be used to determine local awareness. Senior CSR experts, academicians,
CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
57
practitioners, executives and communication executives from Malaysian companies were
selected to determine their views about global practices depending on key variables from the
conceptual framework. All the interviewees were informed about the research to avoid any
concern about protecting interviewees’ rights to confidentiality (Ticehurst and Veal, 2000;
Zikmund, 2000).
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3.5 DATA COLLECTION METHODS
In the research, several data sources were relied upon for an insight on the topic. The
data relevant to “Research Question 1” was collected through secondary resources such as the
annual sustainability and communication reports of the company. In recent years,
sustainability and communication reporting has become a significant statement of firms’
commitment to documenting and assessing their sustainability initiatives. Most of the
publicly listed firms invest huge money and time to publish such reports; hence it is the most
reliable source to find firms’ sustainability initiatives. Apart from this, social media channels,
sustainability groups (Yahoo, LinkedIn, Quora), blogs, press releases and news articles were
used to find the information relevant to these cases.
To answer “Research Question 2”, a different qualitative research method of
interviews was adopted. The interviews, which were conducted for one month, include open-
ended questions. The interviewees were individuals who were highly knowledgeable on the
topic. This involved the heads of CSR in several leading companies. Open-ended questions
were used in research to give the participants freedom to express their sentiments. Despite
this, the interest of the research was to establish complete information. This required
participants to be prompted to provide detailed descriptions in incidences they provided brief
answers. All interviews were transcribed within the following 24 hours. This ensures that the
integrity of the data is maintained making the research credible. Table 3-3 displays some of
the common questions asked to the respondents of this study.
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No. Question
1 Are you aware of firms that use any dedicated social media channel to communicate
sustainability achievements?
2 Which social media platform do companies use to communicate “Responsible Business
Practices or Actions” to consumers (company blog, discussion forum, Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, company webfeeds, e-mail)?
3 Do you follow such communications regularly on social media?
4 Have your perceptions of views changed by reading such material?
5 Have you been influenced in any way by reading such material?
6 Did you ever tell other people about any particular story shared on social media?
7 How regularly does/do those firm/s publish and update their sustainability social media
channels?
8 Do you have any compelling story or example from your experience to share?
9 Do you really think that people may stop or start something by getting inspired from you on
social media?
10 How creative and innovative is the social media content relevant to sustainability efforts of
firms?
11 How transparent are firms that communicate sustainability issues on social media?
12 How authentic do you think is the social media content?
13 Do firms communicate what the company is doing or what it says it would like to do?
14 Are you aware of NGOs or other organisations communicating RBPs using social media?
15 Did your firm ever try to figure out the best social media platform to optimise your
company’s efforts and stories?
16 How useful is the information and conversation on social media to the community?
17 How do you measure that what audiences care about most?
Table 3-3: Interview Questions
Source: Prepared for this study
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3.6 DATA ANALYSIS
This section is significant for the research methodology. This includes the process
followed to narrow results and creates valid theories to understand and determine the valid
research results. This was crucial in identifying a valid hypothesis for the research.
The analysis was aimed to determine the social media usage of various firms. The
analysis appraised this using several variables. This included patterns like “Presenting
Relevant Information/Achievements Online”, “Sharing Right Content with Right
Audience”, “Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience”, “Simplicity of Action”.
Other key indicators such as visibility, association, editability, persistence, authenticity,
creativity and content were also considered while analysing these cases. This whole analysis
was aimed to determine whether the communication through social media of the pre-
identified companies optimises their CSR communication. The data analysis will investigate
various successful approaches being used by global firms. Similar themes were considered to
analyse respondents’ views and perceptions. This analysis helped to propose an operational
model or framework helping firms on the role of social media to influence responsible
business practices. In addition, the framework will use a participatory approach where
experiences and evidence will be shared.
The data analysis process is crucial in the research since it will enable the correlation
of social media and sustainable practices in the chosen cases and determine whether social
media is effective in encouraging firms to entrench sustainable practices in their cultures.
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3.7 CONCLUSION
The significance of this chapter was to give a detailed insight into the justification and
selection of research methods used to address the questions raised in Chapter 1 and Chapter
2. This section involved discussion of several aspects such as: research paradigm, design and
data collection methods deemed suitable for this scenario. The final section of the
methodology involved data analysis. In the methodology, strategies used to combat bias
during data collection were also addressed. The next chapter analyses and interprets the
collected data and findings from the research.
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o Introduction
o Stage 1 - Cases
o Stage 2 – Malaysian Views
o Conclusion
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
63
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 outlined a detailed discussion of social media as a vital tool for business
processes. The problem statement was followed by the research questions and research
objectives of this study to explore the role of social media in influencing responsible business
practices.
In Chapter 2 a comprehensive parent literature on “Sustainability” and “Social
Media” was analysed followed by the immediate literature on the correlation of
“Sustainability and Social Media”. It concluded with the formulation of the conceptual
framework that required to be further explored in this study to address the research problem.
Chapter 3 justified the selection of qualitative research methods for the problem
identified in Chapter 1. It also explained the research paradigm, research design, data
collection, data analysis and conclusion to ensure the reliability and credibility of this study.
The aim of this chapter is to analyse the data collected through cases and interviews in
detail. First, it presents cases selected on their social media usage to promote sustainable
practices, and then findings from all these cases are discussed in detail. These findings
involve different themes/approaches used by companies who have succeeded in sustainable
communication in recent times. Next, this chapter analyses the information collected from
interviews to provide a comprehensive insight into awareness of Malaysian CSR
professionals concerning the influence of social media in the corporate world. In addition,
there is a brief discussion to determine the views and perceptions of Malaysian executives
concerning the use of social media in encouraging sustainable practices in the corporate
world.
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64
Consequently, all the relevant, latest and advanced knowledge gained from this
chapter is evaluated and compared with the literature to propose an operational framework in
Chapter 5.
CHAPTER 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
65
4.2 STAGE 1 – CASES
It is essential for any firm to have a “Good Story” in order to have a positive impact
on society for their efforts. Also, every company should differentiate its actions from other
firms to have an influential impact through social media (Monica Ruck, 2011). This study
finds interesting patterns on how global firms are using social media to influence
stakeholders about sustainable business practices.
4.2.1 CASE 1 – LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
Recently, Levi’s has proved how social media can improve the responsible,
sustainable and charitable image of any brand. Considering the initiative of Levi Strauss, it is
evident that the organisation had a good story for the public. For example, they decided first
to use sustainable cotton and communicated this story to consumers using interactive videos,
infogrpahics and tutorials; advising consumers on how best to maintain and wash jeans.
In 2011, they started promoting new WaterLess jeans via dedicated social media
channels, which increased their responsible image fourfold (WaveMatrix, 2011). This
campaign was named as “Water<Less”, and the firm leveraged social media channels to
engage consumers and create a movement. The website http://store.levi.com/waterless/
(Figure 4-1) promotes this whole idea via videos, infographics and interactive education on
water conservation. This firm has come up with many interactive and creative ways to engage
consumers rather than taking one-time initiative. The commitment of the company in
adopting sustainable practices is growing and the company’s association with NGO
water.org founded by the famous Hollywood celebrity Matt Damon in a YouTube video
featuring the star reiterates this reality (Figure 4-2).
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66
Figure 4-1 Levi's Water<Less Campaign
Source: Levi’s Store Website
Figure 4-2 Water.Org and Water<Less
Source: Levi’s YouTube page
CHAPTER 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
67
According to WaveMatrix (2011), posts about WaterLess all over social media
increased the perception that Levi’s is socially responsible, as shown in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3 Levi's Water<Less Perceptions
Source: WaveMatrix
In addition, the company introduced a new line, which encouraged recycling and
reducing the amount of waste in the environment through a campaign dubbed “Waste<Less”
(Levi’s, 2013). This included the collection of food trays and bottles. The company is also
active in Instagram, with its employees advocating “Waste<Less”. This shows that the
strategy of the company to ensure sustainable practice is extensive and inclusive (Broad,
2013). Despite the efforts of the company in promoting sustainable practices, there has been a
backlash from activists on social media with regard to their water usage in its Mexican plants.
The company was able to address these concerns using its blog and enhanced its reputation in
the use of social media in the process. This firm has not only used social media to work for
CHAPTER 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
68
causes, but its engagement with consumers, interactive media, authentic and transparency
information is also leading the way to solve social problems (Network For Good, 2012).
4.2.2 CASE 2 – BBVA
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) is a Spanish company renowned for
innovation and active engagement on social media. Their reputation is underlined by their
2012 project involving the creation of an innovation centre named “BBVA Centro de
Innovacion”. In a short time, the group’s corporate responsibility website bancaparatodos
has reflected its initiatives with a “working towards a better future for people” strategy. This
involved the use of several social media platforms, including a website, blog, Pinterest,
Twitter and Facebook. Some of the topics that are explored using these platforms include
“Smart Cities”, which is an adaptation of IBM’s strategy. Christophe Langlois (2012)
explained that by the end of 2012 BBVA’s YouTube channel reached more than 105 million
views, the Facebook page reached 2.7 million fans and the Twitter profile recorded 1 million
followers. The firm has almost 131 profiles on various social media platforms across 12
countries. BBVA has successfully explored responsible banking using technological
innovations and mobile breakthroughs. “Crowdfunding” and “Ability to share content” are
the firm’s benchmark practices to ensure that banking services are not limited to any specific
group.
BBVA started a new website, Openmind, that is focused to spread banking and
financial knowledge in a more open, broad and interactive way. It allows consumers to create
communities that pursue the sharing of knowledge and practices for a better future. This
platform (Figure 4-4) is working with many famous authors and world-class figures who
contribute articles on the latest financial and ethical business issues/practices; and later the
firm will published an annual book with a series of such articles.
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69
Figure 4-4 BBVA OpenMind Homepage
Source: BBVAOpenMind.com
BBVA also developed a first crowdfunding platform by a bank in Spain with the
name “BBVAFF (Friends & Family)”. The platform uses the latest cloud technology to
make the consumer experience more social by enabling them to post their objectives online.
Consumers can clearly define the goals that they hope to achieve in a certain time and the
website (Figure 4-5) helps them to identify the right tools to describe the project outline, raise
its awareness among communities and receive funds from secure resources guaranteed by
BBVA.
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70
Figure 4-5 BBVA Friends&Family HomePage
Source: BBVAff.es
The financial sector usually faces challenges when trying to relate with society. In
some instances, the sector is viewed negatively. This can be attributed to the mystery that
surrounds the financial sector where the ordinary individual is not knowledgeable. Social
media is changing this perception and this is evident in the efforts of institutions like BBVA.
The organisation has been successful in harnessing the positive attributes of social media to
engage the public it serves, using strong social media technologies and communicating via
Slideshare and Instagram. This is beneficial since the company has been able to bring its
operations closer to the public.
4.2.3 CASE 3 – eBAY
eBay is undoubtedly one of the most popular e-tailers (online marketplaces) in the
world. According to the company’s Global Citizenship and Internet Market Head (Robert
Chatwani), this firm was established on the noble credence that people are basically good
(CSRwire, 2010). In the past, the company has run many social media campaigns and “eBay
CHAPTER 4 – FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
71
Give.Good.Green” was one of them. The company allowed individuals to participate in this
campaign, offering them a menu of ways. Most of these initiatives didn’t work very well but
eBay’s green team successfully learned from its experiences and has been proactive in
creating an impressive sustainability project. The driving force of the company’s
sustainability effort has been its partnership with Patagonia (Figure 4-6). The company has
established a specialised second-hand store in order to extend Patagonia’s products’ lifecycle.
This has seen the resale of over 38,000 clothing products through the online store. Patagonia
has been living up to its promises to meet the four R’s (Reduce, Repair, Reuse and Recycle)
of waste management. Patagonia and eBay together have successfully promoted the
reusability of products. Consumers are also encouraged to take the “Common Thread
Partnership Pledge” and sell the company’s items, which in turn helps them to bring more
products back into the circle.
Figure 4-6 Patagonia Campaign on eBay
Source: eBay.com
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72
Despite the success of the “Common Thread Partnership Pledge”, the company
also uses several social media platforms including Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and forums to
promote discussions among the market that are environmentally friendly and influence them
to buy and sell used products. The company is very well aware of its position as an online
retailer and has used this advantage to ensure that it has a positive impact on society. The
company has used its social retailing experience very well and as a result 53,000 Patagonia
products are circulating in the market, where otherwise such products would have been
wasted in a closet or landfill (Alan Marks, 2013). The US and UK are two of the major
markets of eBay and many people can access the website from any corner of the world.
Hence, this partnership represents a very strong opportunity for worldwide consumers in
future, once they start shipping reusable products internationally.
4.2.4 CASE 4 – DANONE
Danone is one of the biggest global firms in the food sector, with headquarter in Paris.
One significant part of Danone’s corporate culture is that since its beginning it had a clear
commitment to society driven by CEO, Antoine Ribaud. The company has undertaken two
major social sustainability initiatives using social media – “Down to Earth” and “Social
Business Networks”.
“Social Business Networks” (Figure 4-7) is a long-running project that started in
2006, following a meeting between the CEO and Muhammad Yunus (President of Grameen
Bank Bangladesh, 2006 Noble Peace Prize Winner). It is designed to offer funding and
encourage social business initiatives.
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73
Figure 4-7: Danone Social Business Networks
Source: DanoneCommunities.com
“Down to Earth” is a major platform, an official corporate voice, to communicate
the company’s major sustainability initiatives to stakeholders with a theme that impacts the
firm’s social capital in a positive way. On social media, the Down to Earth project appears
to be the company’s flagship initiative. The institutive includes a blog with appealing visuals,
amazing storytelling with futuristic and provocative content providing strategic insight and
easy sharing options. The magazine highlights the company’s responsibility and role to the
planet, people and profits ensuring authenticity and local perspectives. They believe that the
company’s practical and creative voice (using photos, videos, short texts) are productive in
highlighting its sustainability efforts and are more likely to circulate on social media
(Kruglianskas, 2013). The use of visuals and infographics, as depicted in Figure 4-8, enabled
the company to appeal to a wide audience in the social media.
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Figure 4-8: Danone "Down to Earth" Visual Presentation
Source: DownToEarth.Danone.com
Using social media technologies, Danone has transformed this blog into a global tool
to invite activists, CSR bloggers and personalities and consumers/users. This interaction with
stakeholders and criticism on the firm’s environmental or social policies from participants
helps the firm to improve and drive sustainability efforts. The company also puts its annual
communication and sustainability reports online, making all the information shareable and
easily accessible by stakeholders.
4.2.5 CASE 5 – GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE)
For more than a century, General Electric (GE) has been one of the most successful
global conglomerates, ranked third in the list of Forbes Global 2000 world largest companies
(Greene, 2013). The company has a strong influence in US history with its interests in
various sectors such as energy, technology, consumer and industrial electronics and finance.
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This influence has driven the firm to bring innovation into every sector, including CSR. Since
the inception of the “Ecomagination” initiative, launched in 2005 to build its image as a
green company, GE has been successful in producing content that is both relevant and
thought-provoking, using sustainability and innovation.
GE has impressively packaged its portfolio of social media platforms including
“Txchnologist.com”, “Data Visualization”, “Healthymagination”, “Ecomagination” and
“Ideas Lab” under the hood of its online magazine “GE Reports”. The company uses this
magazine and platforms under it to raise public awareness on health, technology, future
innovations and environment. All this provocative and inspiring information is shared among
consumers on multiple social channels – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Sine Weibo. The
company has been successfully sharing stories through social media channels that people may
not link with the operations of the firm. For example, Figure 4-9 displays one of GE’s cancer-
awareness infographic that went viral last year on social networks.
Recently, GE Healthcare care launched a global “#GetFit” competition that
encourages its participants to share their personal stories and experiences of staying fit and
healthy. To raise the cancer prevention awareness, GE supported its “#GetFit” campaign
with “GE’s HealthyShare Facebook App” (Figure 4-10), which allowed Facebook users to
track daily, monthly and weekly progress on their healthy challenges and progress in the
game by sharing and posting more about healthy lifestyles. This unique social gaming
experience motivated and encouraged more users to follow updates on cancer in an
interactive way. GE Reports is a great example of how interactive and thought-provoking
content-based social media publishing with the help of experienced and qualified editors can
influence a firm’s sustainability practices (Synato, 2012).
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Figure 4-9: An Example of GE's Infographics
Source: www.ge-gefit.com
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Figure 4-10: GE HealthyShare Facebook App
Source: apps.facebook.com/healthyshare
4.2.6 CASE 6 – PEPSI CO
PepsiCo started using social media in 2010, with its amazing cause-related marketing
campaign, “Pepsi Refresh Project”. In the 21st century, when all global firms started using
cloud computing in their business operations, this firm took a unique approach to implement
CSR initiatives using “Cloud” model and started the Pepsi Refresh Project. The purpose is to
refresh deprived and needy communities with innovative ideas. Any individual with an idea
to refresh a particular community is encouraged to invite more people to support the idea and,
if that particular idea is approved, the company will help that individual with funding from
the Pepsi Refresh Project. This project helped the company to leverage the brand’s identity
on social media networks and also encouraged consumers to participate in fund raising for
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various charitable causes. Pepsi also collaborated and partnered with other organisations –
e.g. 7-Eleven – to raise funds for Feeding America and Burton to manufacture sustainable
clothing from recycled plastic bottles. These collaborations and partnerships were socially
fuelled by Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest apps.
Jackie Millan, VP and Senior Director of Corporate Contributions for the PepsiCo
Foundation, discussed the role of social media to boost their socially responsible image:
“We implemented social media tools to promote responsible business practices because our
research indicated that a majority of users, active on social networks, voluntarily participate
and contribute for cause-related groups or organisations. This helped us to figure out the
potential; we only needed to recruit”.
(Greene, 2013)
Emily M. Kamischke (2012) explained that the company managed to offer more than
$21 million through this project, refreshing 189 schools, 93 parks and 45 cities; and raised
$10.8 million funds through grants, as shown in Figure 4-11. The Pepsi Refresh Project has
earned the company a premium standard of CSR among global companies to gain
competitive advantages using social media. According to a Pepsi official, while more
worldwide companies begin to follow the same approach in recognising the intrinsic value of
social media tools, PepsiCo will still lead them all. The most impressive part is the way the
firm’s social media communicates all these stories and engages followers in a dialogue. By
highlighting the sustainability performance with a purpose on Facebook, Twitter and other
dedicated channels the company has increased awareness about its responsible business
practices.
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Figure 4-11: Pepsi Refresh Project
Source: emilykamischke.com
4.2.7 CASE 7 – FORD
Since the emergence of social media technologies, car companies have also started
understanding their power to appeal and engage users, and begun dipping their toes into it.
One company that has excelled such practices in this particular sector is Ford. Earlier we
learned how GM used its blogs and podcasts to communicate and engage with stakeholders,
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but Ford surprised everyone on building its innovative social project “The Ford Story”
under the hood of a social media hub known as “Ford Social” (Figure 4-12).
The company’s global head of social media, Scott Monty believes that we don’t use
Facebook, Twitter and other social channels to simply announce our upcoming products. The
purpose is to increase customer loyalty to the brand by engaging, helping and understanding
them. “Ford Social” gives the fans and followers a chance to experience the brand in ways
they never imagined, and in return they are rewarded for it. It gives consumers an option to
claim badges according to their interests and get a chance to attend the industry’s exclusive
networking events and workshops. Ford Social also includes a dedicated ideas section
inspired from the “MyStarbuksIdea” and “Dell’s Ideastorm”, where people can submit
their sustainable ideas for next vehicle features.
Figure 4-12: Ford Social
Source: social.ford.com
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The blog is full of consumer news, environmental issues and information on clean and
green technologies. It provides a playground for Ford fans to share their personal experiences
and even launch their sustainable campaigns. It also has collaborations with other blogs –
“What Women Want Initiative” and “BoxTops for Education Initiative”. The social
media team also makes interactive, creative, real-time and shareable digital maps indicating
the sustainability journey and progress of the firm within the year (Figure 4-13).
“@FordDrivenGreen” is a dedicated Twitter channel managed by the company to tweet the
company’s sustainable practices.
Figure 4-13: Ford's Digital Maps
Source: Social.Ford.com
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4.2.8 CASE 8 – MARKS & SPENCER
The impressive British retailer has become known for its inspiring and influencing
sustainability initiatives in recent years. M&S has struggled in the past and experienced
numerous challenges when attempting to communicate its sustainability initiatives. Last year,
the company launched a new social innovation campaign, “SHWOPPING”, in collaboration
with NGO Oxfam, to sell unwanted clothes in the UK, where consumers discard 2 million
tons of cloths every year (Sangeeta, 2012). M&S upped its communication game using social
media and encouraged its consumers to bring in old clothes, even if they were not purchased
from M&S, whenever they buy something new. These products are reused, recycled or resold
by Oxfam (Charity Partner).
Figure 4-14: Marks & Spencer Shwopping Page
Source: marksandspencer.com
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This campaign is supported by a creatively designed webpage that interacts with the
viewer using simple facts and playful visuals. The whole purpose is to encourage consumers’
buying behaviour, making them realise that how much a “wasted” item is worth and how it
can help to make someone’s life better in Senegal, Nigeria and Bangladesh. For example, an
interactive app (Figure 4-14) will let users know that a jacket is worth £20, a watch £5 and
that a shoe generates £9. Next, by dropping a trouser (worth £5) in the drop box, this app
reveals how it would help buy a water container for 4 families in Nigeria.
Figure 4-15: M&S Facebook Site
Source: FB/MarksandSpencer
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Marks & Spencer has also provided consumers a social media channel through the
“M&S Facebook Site” (Figure 4-15) that displays the top showppers in the latest week and
helps them to decide “to shwop or not to showp”. Consumers can make profiles and upload
pictures of old clothes and vote for others to help with their pick. The mobile Facebook app
has also been designed by the company to exhibit their commitment to the clothing cause.
Marks and Spencer has established a strong influence on stakeholders, making a determined
effort with regard to wasted clothes using social media innovations. Sangeeta, a 3BL media
reporter on Justmeans, explains that M&S has donated 5,500 tons (equivalent to five jumbo
jets) of clothes through “Shwopping” (Sangeeta, 2012).
4.2.9 CASE 9 – FedEx
Like every other sector, global carrier services also have a large presence on social
media to engage their consumers on sustainable business practices. DHL have more than 1
million likes on Facebook, whereas UPS and TNT are lagging behind with 35,000 and 25,000
likes respectively (Transglobal Express, 2013). FedEx are competing the race with an
amazing 650,000, committing themselves to narrative content and storytelling. This has put
the firm in a good position for social media sustainability communication.
FedEx recently launched the “Grow a Greener School Contest” on Pinterest (the
photo-sharing social network) with a mission to provide resources for teachers, students,
parents and staff to start sustainability projects at their school. All schools in the US are
encouraged to enter by submitting creative photographs related to small green initiatives at
their school. The entries with the most number of likes are the weekly winners and they are
awarded $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 for their green initiatives (Figure 4-16).
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Figure 4-16: FedEx Pinterest Contest
Source: FedEx.com
Apart from this, FedEx has a longstanding social media initiative, “EarthSmart”,
with an impressive framework to communicate the firm’s responsible practices. This
shareable social media site is full of addictive logistic games that inspire individuals to think
of what solutions are feasible in the effort to meet delivery demands, while addressing the
environmental challenges (Figure 4-17 displays FedEx Route Optimization Game).
Figure 4-17: FedEx Route Optimization Game
Source: FedEx.com
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The company has been criticised for the overstretching of creativity in its “Facebook
app, Forest app” but on Twitter, the company’s vice president of sustainability Mitch
Jackson offers formal, authentic and transparent communication on the latest sustainability
activities of the firm. Overall, this global carrier has highlighted the importance of social
media to influence sustainable behaviour in a positive way. “FedEx Cares” and the
company’s social platforms provide creative reports, videos and infographics that are easily
accessible / shareable by the public. This information provides detailed and useful material
concerning its stand on corporate social responsibility (FedEx Sustainable Future Infographic
in Figure 4-18).
Figure 4-18: FedEx Sustainable Future Infographic
Source: csr.FedEx.com
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4.2.10 CASE 10 – MICROSOFT
In March 2013 the research-based Ethisphere® Institute published their 7th annual list
of the world’s most ethical companies. Out of 145 companies in the list, only five computer
software companies made the ranking and Microsoft is one of them (Ethisphere, 2013).
Microsoft’s CSR website “Microsoft Citizenship” has not only been blogging about the
company’s efforts towards society but has also invested a lot in development of software
applications to support CSR programmes and measure the impact of these efforts. This
transitioning software company doesn’t just spam its viewers with the latest press releases
and posts on social media channels. They use quantified information to measure their success
internally and externally and this helps them to generate good content. This content
strengthens the company’s CSR stories and provides them an opportunity to share more.
Microsoft’s latest CSR initiative “YouthSpark”, launched in 2012, has generated a buzz in
CSR communities on social networks (Figure 4-19). This programme aims to help 300
million children in more than 100 countries with quality education, to find jobs or launch
their own start-ups. The firm has incorporated the role of social media technologies in a good
way to lead this programme by designing a micro-funding portal “Give for Youth” and a
promising global community “Innovate4Good”. This has provided youth a platform to
network with each other, share new ideas, find the right teams or partners and change the
future using technology. Microsoft’s Citizenship’s Facebook page and Twitter profile has
more active and engaging followers than other companies. This leading software company
has been effective at using its technological powers and abilities to help communities with
their problems and for a better future (Louis Columbus, 2013).
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Figure 4-19: Microsoft YouthSpark Program
Source: Microsoft.com
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4.2.11 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS FROM
CASES
Companies have employed several strategies in order to ensure that their sustainable
communication is appealing and effective for online communities. Based on above findings
from cases, these strategies can be discussed as following different approaches / themes.
BlogZine Formats
This is crucial considering that communities are disparate and scattered but also
growing constantly in recent times. These communities have a strong interest in sustainability
information and news. This realisation has spurred companies to adopt an online blog
magazine mentality, “blogzine formats” as a feasible approach for communicating
sustainability. Companies were aware that sustainability was no longer an interest of niche
stakeholders. Society in general was increasing its interest in the sustainability efforts of
organisations. The advent of social media provided an effective and interactive media for this
communication, creating a suitable environment for the magazine mentality. The mentality
solves the need to communicate with large audiences concerning sustainable behaviour in an
interactive and creative way. Some of the companies that have been successful in
implementing this approach include Coca-Cola Unbottled, GE Reports, Deutsche-Post,
Ford Social, GSK More than Medicine, Timberland’s Bootmakers Blog, Renault’s
Sustainable Mobility and Danone’s Down to Earth.
“We were missing a connection to you. Even in this social age, our
communications still felt very one way. We couldn’t easily have a conversation
about water conservation, empowering women, or take you behind-the-scenes
at the Olympics.”
(Mallory Perkins, Coca-Cola Journey, 2012)
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Games, Apps and Maps
Social media is characterised by innovation, and helping companies to find more
practical and innovative ways to engage stakeholders. For instance, “games, apps and
maps” have become a prominent part of sustainability communication since 2010 to engage
online communities and build conversations. Novo Nordisk’s interactive sustainability
games (e.g. Business Risk and Reputation Game) have set standards to make consumers
aware about business dilemmas on ethical, moral, environmental and health issues. FedEx
Route Optimization, GE Healtymaginiation and Nike’s app Making have raised
awareness about fuel efficiency, cancer treatments and choosing sustainable materials for
designing respectively. Companies like Telefonica and Petrobras have smartly used maps
applications to show navigation of their CSR stories. The new emerging channels, such as
apps, games and maps, have set new trends for companies for making sustainability
communication more significant and effective for stakeholders. It inspires stakeholders
(especially those who might not always like reading massive quantitative data – filled PDF
reports) to join the action and share information with others.
Emerging Channels
Technology is advancing at an astonishing rate and new innovations like Pinterest,
Instagram, Visual.ly, SocialCam and other new “emerging channels” have given
organisations the opportunity to improve story-telling and sustainability communication
techniques. Starbucks used Instagram to encourage consumers to keep reusable cups and
upload pictures of their cups in collaboration with “KeepCup.com”. Danone designed a
creative infographic to communicate its programme, helping Egyptian milk producers with
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91
increased prices and monopolisation of local traders, and shared via Visual.ly. Philips
recently used Pinterest to encourage its fans to share things that make their cities livable and
loveable. The reason behind the famous #PinYourCity campaign was to raise people’s
awareness of social problems and healthier lifestyle. Similarly Wal-Mart used the same
channel “Pin to Win” contest inspiring fans to share pictures that motivate them to be green.
These emerging channels and platforms are helping organisations to influence stakeholders
on their responsible business practices as well as inspiring communities to take action on
certain issue.
Personalised Approach
Social media has revolutionised how society communicates. This development has
percolated to the corporate scenario with companies looking to tap into this avenue in
order to communicate with consumers. Despite the benefits of social media, there has been a
dilemma about how companies would benefit from this exciting and interactive innovation.
Companies have debated whether the communication should be fronted by a personality or a
brand. This is a crucial concern considering that companies aim to use this avenue to
demystify themselves to the public. An organisation needs to determine the nature of
interaction that is desired in the platforms. For instance, if a company uses the “personalised
approach”, then the communication will have to be simple.
This will create an image of greater authenticity and transparency for the company
than when the communication is fronted by a brand. For instance, British
Telecommunication (BT) uses a personality for its social media communication. Niall
Dunne is the front man in the company’s CSR efforts to communicate with the public using
Twitter and Facebook. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has also embraced the personal
approach with its CSR communication being led by Tim Mohin. The critics state the brand
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approach is as straightforward as the personalised approach. If a company decides to use a
personality as a front for social media communication, the company will lose out when the
personality leaves the company. The brand is a permanent fixture in a company meaning that
it cannot be lost under any circumstance. Apart from these, some companies operate vibrant
Twitter and Facebook CSR accounts with the authentic and coordinated brand voice of the
CSR team, sharing social responsibility news and updates from the company. Figure 4-20
displays a few active Twitter accounts of major global firms.
Figure 4-20: MNC's Twitter CSR Channels
Source: SocialMediaInfluence.com
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Big Ideas
Social media tools and technologies have provided new paths to engage customers
globally and it has witnessed a huge shift from “Like us” to “Let’s do it together”. With the
help of cloud technologies, MNC’s have started “big ideas” like Pepsi Refresh, Microsoft
Youthspark, BBVAFF, Siemens Answers and Sony FutureScapes. These initiatives are
helping companies to take inputs from stakeholders and create solutions for big sustainability
issues and problems. Such solutions inspire consumers to take action for a better future.
These community-driven programmes have influenced many stakeholders with a sustainable
twist. These social initiatives touch directly on the hearts and emotions of targetted
stakeholders and support their related cause. To influence stakeholders, it is necessary to
make them realise that their views and ideas are being welcomed and turned into actions.
Global firms like Pepsi, Sony, Dell, Starbucks, Microsoft and American Express have
demonstrated how a crowd can be motivated to take action for a sustainable initiative; and
also how rewarding and satisfying some ideas (turning them into success), to innovate new
solutions, can bring priceless results. This approach has helped companies to facilitate
behavioural change, not within their firms but that of their consumers.
Analysing global firms on their latest social media sustainability initiatives reveals
interesting themes like blogzine formats, apps, games, maps, emerging channels,
personalised approach and big ideas. These themes are shaping the future of sustainability
communications to inspire stakeholders about responsible business practices. These practices
are helping organisations to engage users, motivate them to take actions and share authentic
content with others in interactive and creative way; making sustainability communications
more meaningful and effective.
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4.3 STAGE 2 – MALAYISAN VIEWS
In accordance with the conceptual framework and trends from the global cases, some
Malaysian CSR experts, academics and researchers were interviewed to discover their beliefs
and perceptions on the role of social media to influence responsible business practices. Next,
this section analyses respondents’ feedback.
4.3.1 PRESENTING RELEVENT INFORMATION ONLINE
In accordance with the conceptual framework and trends from the global cases, some
Malaysian CSR experts, academics and researchers were interviewed to discover their beliefs
and perceptions on the role of social media to influence responsible business practices. Most
of the respondents named no Malaysian firms, only MNC’s, such as: Starbucks, Siemens AG,
Shell, Nestle, Lion Group, Coca Cola and Pepsi with a dedicated CSR channel on social
media. Respondent (9) described:
“At the outset no ...but I would not be surprised if there are plenty ghost writers who would
be paid to do so especially in case of FMCGs”
Respondent (4) mentioned that Malakoff Corporation Berhad, “a premiere global
power and water company working successfully to grow sustainability with local
communities”, regularly blogs and reports about its sustainable practices on its domestic
website. All respondents believed that Facebook is the most common platform to
communicate with business stakeholders. Company blogs and YouTube channels are two
other platforms frequently mentioned by these experts. Most respondents did not have any
exact idea how often firms are updating their social media sustainability channels.
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4.3.2 SHARING RIGHT CONTENT WITH RIGHT AUDIENCE
Participants believed that most MNC’s do communicate very effectively; they only
present/publish information on what they are doing right now. But one respondent shared a
completely different view: “mostly given the nature of corporate communications they are in
future tense”.
In terms of transparency on social media, experts believed that it depended on the
company and its willingness to share in a transparent way. A respondent from DiGi
Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd. described that:
“...Can't say for sure, but I'm guessing that in reality, most companies use it more for PR
purposes, as to get honest feedback on real issues/challenges. I've not yet seen any CR-
related social media that has any bad news about the companies they represent.”
According to experts, firms are not very engaging and remain censored on many
issues. Most of the firms are only using one-way communication channels in terms of
sustainability issues, as the vice president from Siemens Malaysia explained:
“The firms use social media as a public relations tool. It is transparent till someone makes a
negative comment. Therefore companies, despite allowing debate on its social media content,
maintain full control and check on the reaction it draws from the viewers.”
According to experts, authenticity of content is questionable. Respondents with
research and academic background explained that “it depends on who’s publishing it? As
company’s perspective is always colored”; plus, “they merely report their CSR practices
with regards to society, so it makes them quite authentic” and “sometimes it seems to tough
people’s emotions only”.
A senior executive from the Sime Darby stated that:
“..Firms might not be very transparent but I feel mostly the content is still authentic.”
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Except researchers, all working executives believed that the content is always
authentic since it involves companies’ long-term reputations i.e. there is no false information
provided. However, its authenticity as in the firm's sincerity to the message is questionable.
According to their beliefs most social media activity is part of the company's branding
strategy and it only highlights the positive sides of the social, economic and environmental
impact from its activities. Sincerity becomes questionable when news about the company's
unsustainable activities is leaked from other quarters.
In terms of the usefulness of the CSR information shared on social networks, experts
indicated that it is useful to create awareness and disseminate information on causes that
actually need attention, but that it’s always good to validate the authenticity. As one of the
respondents mentioned:
“..It's useful, but should be taken with a pinch of salt...in other words, it's important to
verify/validate the information. It could be useful for the purpose of using social media to
mobilise support for a community cause.”
One of the respondents said that: “as a user I believe it’s very useful because many
common questions get answered and people get to know a lot of new facts and information”
and “it allows for alternative perspectives and pushes business to greater accountability”.
Hence, according to experts, it is useful to share what the company is doing to be sustainable.
As they mentioned, creating awareness in the public is the only way to differentiate a
company and its product from less responsible organisations.
4.3.3 SIMPLICITY OF ACTION/JOINING FOR AUDIENCE
Most of the experts believed that cause-related information is hardly helpful to change
perceptions or views about a company’s sustainable business practices as they presumed it
was mostly related to PR. The Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Tesco Malaysia
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97
mentioned that, “this information is not enough to change the perceptions, but information
and sharing is good overall”. Two CSR researchers shared a different point of view on this;
they believed that this information is good enough to change consumers’ perceptions as well
as any other stakeholders. Sometimes it doesn’t only change perceptions but it also builds
new perceptions about a company’s efforts, as respondent (9) described:
“Yes ... and if I am concerned I do try to read the company response – for example the latest
Johnson and Johnson issues in Asia with their childcare product range.”
A senior executive explained that information shared on social media platforms has
really influenced him to develop a better understanding about a firm’s behaviour to
communities and the environment:
“I have developed a deeper understanding of how the company is engaging in sustainable
initiatives such as new product design or consultancy services which help reduce
environmental impact. e.g. products and services developed to be have a smaller carbon
footprint.”
Half of the respondents said that social media like any other media is a powerful
influencing force for people who take heed of the message being broadcast. As respondent
(6) described:
“I do get my inspiration from watching various YouTube channels such as TED Talks and
also from reading blogs. I am sure if I have something interesting to tell which could bring
about a change, it will be easier to spread the message in the cyber world than in the real
world”
The Sime Darby representative mentioned, “They [firms] must start using it, as it
reaches more people and is quite an 'in' thing to do”. Plus, according to him, firms can
measure this by “responses received and conducting targeted stakeholder engagement
activities” – because different audiences (stakeholders) have different expectations,
depending on whether they're customers, regulators, employees, etc. So, most of the
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respondents believed that polling, survey, research feedback with proper user engagement on
CSR websites and Facebook can be productive to measure stakeholders’ interests.
4.3.4 SHARING AND INTERECTIVITY OPTIONS FOR
AUDIENCES
Experts agreed that most large MNC’s are clever enough to make the content creative
and innovative, if they want to be noticed in the world of social media. The creativity of the
content is sometime more important than the sustainability effort undertaken by the firm. In
most cases companies are forcibly associating their sustainability agenda to an inspiring story
just to be able to stand out from the crowd. Respondent (5) regarded this as “a very creative
way of reaching the masses who would otherwise have no interest in the company’s core
sustainable activities”. Overall, perception was that content is normally easy to understand
(too much emotional focus sometimes) and share, but only large firms are dynamic in
conveying new stories on social media. Respondent (3) explained:
“It's more innovative, as it's real-time, and engages stakeholders on a continuous basis. Also,
it's more timely, as the issues discussed/highlighted are current, and one does not have to
wait till end of the reporting cycle to highlight these. It also allows companies to address key
issues in a timely basis. In fact, companies that don't will be taken to task by their
‘followers’."
So, participants agreed with the idea that the interactivity, creativity and
innovativeness of social media content influences audiences to share it with more people
around them and it also penetrates their reading and consciousness zone.
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99
4.3.5 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS FROM
INTERVIEWS
Overall, all the participants believed that social media has provided companies with
new effective ways to communicate with stakeholders. In Malaysia, CSR is still at the early
stages of disseminating information, creating awareness and enhancing corporate brand
reputation. As one of our participants mentioned:
“.. I would say firms do it for enhancing legitimacy.”
There are only a few firms doing CSR activities as part of their corporate strategy.
CSR strategies are standalone initiatives, yet not fully integrated into their overall corporate
strategy. MNC’s are however more advanced and tend to have broader sustainable strategies.
However these MNC’s (subsidiaries) in Malaysia are merely following what their parent
company is doing and thus are more advanced than local companies. One good example is
DIGI Malaysia (a subsidiary of Telenor group). This company tends to integrate CSR
strategies into their overall corporate strategies. Using social media platforms, just like global
companies, to engage users and share more authentic content in interactive and creative ways
will give domestic firms a meaningful approach to influence responsible business practices.
Though it might not instigate people to start or stop doing something, experts agreed that
firms should use such platforms as they reach more people. Plus, innovative ways of sharing
content help firms to be noticed and gain competitive edge.
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4.4 CONCLUSION
In this chapter collected data was analysed in detail. First, 10 different cases were
developed for the companies who successfully used social media to communicate sustainable
business practices; and engaged stakeholders to have a positive impact on society. Second, as
mentioned clearly in our research objectives, beliefs and perceptions of Malaysian executives
concerning the use of social media in encouraging sustainable business practices were
explored. Findings were drawn from the cases and also from the interviews conducted. Thus,
all the relevant, latest and advanced knowledge gained from this chapter is evaluated and
compared with the literature to develop and present an operational framework in Chapter 5.
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
101
o Introduction
o Proposed Framework
o Contributions on the Research Problem
o Limitations of the Study
o Implications for Managers
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
102
5.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter outlines the overall conclusions and implications of the study. It consists
of five sections. The first section presents the structure of Chapter 5 as an introduction. In the
second section, findings from the cases and also from the interviews conducted in Chapter 4
are compared with the literature to develop and present a framework. Next, the conclusion
regarding the research problem and contributions of this study are reviewed. At the end of the
chapter, the limitations of the study are discussed, followed by the implications of the
research findings for managers.
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
103
5.2 PROPOSED FRAMEWORK
In this study, findings from both cases and interviews reveal that firms should start
using social media channels to communicate their sustainable business practices. CSR is a
strategic action for firms and in the last 10 years social media has driven awareness of
responsible business practices more than any other media. Successful firms are presenting
relevant information/achievements online, since they are aware of social media as an
institution to engage/address customer’s problems; and the selection of the right social
media channels (blogzine, maps, apps, games and new emerging channels) relevant to the
campaign is based on the company’s strategic integrated plan. Findings from global cases
reveal that firms should actually have a social media strategy that they can use to push their
CSR efforts further. Firms should find individuals (movers and shakers) within the
organisation with the right expertise and it is only possible when senior executives realise the
importance of social media as an institution. Every new product, every new app or new
service that comes to the social media market enables CSR experts to push their objective
even further, as each channel or product has its individual audience and targets. This
information on multiple channels and engagement from firms will increase the number of
individuals participating in sustainable initiatives (Bandura, 2001).
Awareness of Social Media as
Institution
Right Selection of Social Media
Channels
Presenting Relevant
Information/Achievements
Online
Figure 5-1: Presenting Relevant Information
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
104
Social media leaves companies nowhere to hide and big companies are more
vulnerable in this technological era. If something happens in a company and it gets tweeted,
posted and shared, it will be seen by millions on the internet. Being responsible is different
from being sustainable – sometimes firms operate in an environment in which they can’t be
sustainable (e.g. the petroleum industry) but still they can be responsible. So firms have to be
honest with themselves as to how much transparency they can have. They should focus on
what kind of data and things can be shared and communicated on social media. Firms,
explored in this study have redefined what transparency is and become more realistic by
sharing the right content with the right audience. Many companies have adopted
personalised approaches, with its CSR communication being led by sustainability heads
creating an image of greater authenticity and transparency for the company than when the
communication is fronted by a brand. Many firms use social media platforms to get
feedbacks from stakeholders on latest issues being more transparent.
Everyone likes and appreciates companies doing and involved in good things; and
social media has been an effective way to communicate these practices. Successful
companies prioritise on substance and engagement that makes their stories trend further and
faster. Finally, simplicity of action/joining for audience depends on the way firms
communicate, build interests by engaging users and being proactive. User engagement with
Authenticity of Information
Transparency of Information
Sharing the Right Content with the Right
Audience
Figure 5-2: Sharing the Right Content with the Right Audience
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
105
quality content changes consumers’ perceptions and beliefs about a company’s efforts and
social media tools provide them easy ways to take action or join the cause.
Every new application, service or product that comes to the social media market
pushes organisations further to increase audience and reach their target audiences. New
emerging channels like Instagram, Visual.ly and Pinterest have given firms an opportunity to
express their messages in creative and interactive ways, showing the heart and soul of the
business. Shwopping by Marks & Spencer and Earthsmart by FedEx show how firms can use
interactive, creative and real-time content to increase stakeholder awareness of latest
issues and involve them with these practices. Quality content and creative story-telling also
influence people to share information with others e.g. Pepsi Refresh and Levi’s
Water<Less campaigns.
In the end, CSR for global firms is doing something good every day. It is helping
them to manage their business processes to produce an overall impressive and positive impact
User Engagement
Easy to Join and Take
Action
Simplicity of Action/Joining for Audience
Interactive, Real-time and
Creative Content
Sharing information with others
Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience
Figure 5-3: Simplicity of Action / Joining for Audience
Figure 5- 4: Sharing and Interactivity Options for Audience
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
106
on society. According to a survey conducted by the Reputation Institute in 2011, an
organisation’s sustainability programme or initiative can be responsible for more than 40
percent of its overall reputation (Tiggelovent, 2012).
Social Media
Optimization
Awareness of Social Media as
Institution
Right Selection of Social Media
Channels
User Engagement
Transparency of Information
Authenticity of Information
Change in behaviours
Interactive, Real-time and
Creative Content
Easy to Join and Take
Action
Sharing information with others
Positive Impact
Figure 5-5: Proposed Framework
Source: Prepared for this study
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
107
The advent of social media has given companies new ways to reach their stakeholders
and influence them about company’s responsible actions. However, if not organised properly,
social media can be a double-edged sword. Figure 5-5 presents a proposed framework that
shows how firms can use social media to influence stakeholders and produce positive impact
on society.
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
108
5.3 CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
The main aim of the study was to gain an understanding of social media in the context
of CSR/sustainability practices. Three objectives were set for the study:
Objective 1: Identifying the role of social media in influencing sustainable practices
The aim was to investigate the latest trends globally. It included exploring the cases of
10 global companies on how they use social media to communicate CSR and to see how
social media could influence responsible business activities. The cases helped reveal
interesting ways in which social media was used as an interactive platform for
communication of CSR/sustainability practices.
In the last few years, big bold CSR campaigns like Pepsi Refresh, Levi’s Water<Less,
Microsoft Youthspark, Marks & Spencer Shwopping, eBay Patagonia and many others have
influenced their niche stakeholders on responsible business practices. Social media has been a
driving force behind such campaigns, as companies have found that CSR is no longer just of
interest to niche stakeholders. Social media technologies have empowered people with a
sense that their voice matters; and MNC’s have sought to turn this two-way dialogue to their
advantage, using the innovativeness, creativity and usefulness of these technologies not only
to communicate with such people but also to engage them into such responsible actions.
These companies have all clearly recognised the common values of social media and
sustainability (transparency, authenticity, community, creativity and innovation) and
combined them using different themes (blogzine, apps, games, maps, emerging channels,
personalised approach and big ideas) to improve their business from inside and outside.
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
109
Objective 2: The influence of social media on firms in Malaysia
This aim was to explore what could be the role of social media on first CSR practices
in Malaysia – through the views and perceptions of CSR experts (researchers, academicians,
practitioners and consultants) and other business executives working in Malaysia. It revealed
their awareness and experiences of social media practices to communicate or influence
sustainable practices.
Malaysian CSR experts agree that social media has provided companies with new
effective ways to communicate with stakeholders. Using social media platforms to engage
users and share more authentic content in interactive and creative ways will give domestic
firms, just like global companies, a meaningful approach to influence responsible business
practices. According to them, it might not instigate people to start or stop doing something,
but firms should use these platforms as they reach more people; and innovative ways of
sharing content help firms to be noticed and gain competitive edge. In Malaysia, CSR is still
at the early stages of disseminating information, creating awareness and enhancing corporate
brand reputation. There are only a few firms undertaking CSR activities as part of their
corporate strategy. CSR strategies are standalone initiatives, yet not fully integrated into their
overall corporate strategy. MNC’s are, however, more advanced and tend to have broader
sustainable strategies. However these MNC’s in Malaysia are merely following what their
parent company is doing and thus are more advanced than local companies (e.g. DIGI
Malaysia and Siemens Malaysia).
Objective 3: To propose a framework for organisations to use social media for their
CSR practices
Findings from Objective 1 and Objective 2 revealed that global companies are
focusing on their stakeholders and finding best ways to engage them using innovative and
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
110
creative social media tools; and motivating them to be a part of their programmes e.g. Pepsi
Refresh, Startbucks MyIdea. Most of the companies are still not sure how to proceed in
engaging and monitoring social media channels (Burson-Marsteller, 2013). This paper has
proposed a framework (Figure 5-5) for organisations to share their experiences about an
initiative and motivate other individuals to be active, participate and take action (Armstrong,
2007). The framework reveals that presenting transparent, authentic and updated information
online; and using creative, innovative and real-time social media tools to engage
stakeholders, can help companies to have a positive sustainability impact on stakeholders.
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
111
5.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study presents an initial exploratory analysis on the role of social media in
CSR/sustainability-oriented practices and, as such, it has few limitations. This research was
based on a limited number of cases and participants, which could be increased to investigate a
more reliable set of outcomes; therefore generalisation is not advised. Since the technology is
advancing at an astonishing rate, it was not possible to extract information from all the
various kinds of social media tools and themes, only the ones being practised by global firms.
The proposed framework is not tested and provides avenues for further research to measure
the sustainability impacts.
5.5 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGERS
The sustainability processes of any firm embrace the fact that a company is
responsible for its actions, in an authentic and transparent way, and encourage a positive
impact through these actions on the environment and stakeholders (Tiggelovent, 2012). In
recent years, internet innovations and an increasing number of social media communities
have been underpinned by the need to be transparent and authentic; and caused concerns to
MNC’s (Ehrlich and Shami, 2010), if they are responsible for their societal impacts? The next
step for managers, in modern transformation, is to apply social media thinking to
sustainability and drive change in companies. It would give them meaningful and effective
ways to relay transparent information and dialogues. It would make managers accountable to
all stakeholders instead of a few PR-driven niche stakeholders. Many companies have already
started using social media and innovative services that create bespoke sustainability
programmes (e.g. Pepsi, GE, BBVA, IBM etc.). Mangers at these companies have validated
CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
112
the power of using social media tools to improve the sustainable image of the company.
Social media is no longer the latest trendy form of media; it has become a multi-billion dollar
industry and managers must start harnessing social media expertise to achieve sustainable
goals.
“…the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.”
-Jawaharlal Nehru-
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