The scope and limit for the development of corporate social responsibility in the Baltic States as a strategy of corporate communication
Kaja Tampere
(Tallinn University, Estonia)
ABSTRACT: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a comparatively new term in the Baltic States’ business vocabulary. The value of the present study is the customer approach. The study examines stakeholders’ attitudes in Baltic States towards CSR activities of companies. The systematic examination of the current state of CSR development from the perspective of corporate communication and consumers will benefit the overall understanding of what the role and value of CSR is in the Baltic States. The study aims at defining the current point of CSR development with its characteristics, qualities, perspectives and tendencies. This would further enhance the understanding of future perspectives — scopes and limitations — for CSR development in the Baltic States. The empirical study uses a survey questionnaire as a research tool. The survey took place in the period of February–March 2010. The sample of the study is opinion elite (persons in society who comment on different societal aspects in the media: opinion journalists, politicians, business leaders, 3rd sector leaders, expert associations, etc.) in the Baltic States. A study will give an insight into the present and future tendencies of the development of CSR. It will also give a perspective for corporate communication practitioners about CSR and how it works in a post-communist society, as a strategy for organizational communication and reputation building.