Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, And Ethical Public Relations: Strengthening Synergies With Human Resources (the Changing Context Of Managing People)

Nowhere is the study of workplace ethics more relevant today than in the context of empowering organizations to meet their goals in corporate social responsibility and sustainability (CSR/S). Aimed at helping organizations uphold their commitments to people and the planet as well as profit, these are core goals towards which both PR and HR departments now work. However one major stumbling block is the fact that while internal departments may regularly work closely when managing and communicating with employees, the communication flow tends to be top down. In order to create more socially responsible, sustainable, and ethical organizations, the communication flow must be more organic and bilateral. The question of how both teams could work together on a more even playing field has escaped scholarly inquiry for years. Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, & Ethical Public Relations: Strengthening Synergies with Human Resources examines ways to make CSR/S an integrated ingredient and ethical hallmark for an organization’s culture. Here authors from around the globe use a variety of research methods to offer practical, empirical findings, exploring opportunities for employees to serve as a conduit for organizations' CSR/S goals. This book shows how HR-PR department cooperation can fulfil the role of organizational conscience, helping for-profits and non-profits to navigate toward greater CSR/S. Front Cover Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Ethical Public Relations Copyright Page Contents Preface Foreword Chapter 1 Picking at an Old Scab in a New Era: Public Relations and Human Resources Boundary Spanning for a Socially Responsible and Sustainable World Theoretical Underpinnings for Examining Interdepartmental Relationships Development of the HR Function within Organizations PR Perspective on Internal Relations PR Departments and CSR/S Measuring Internal Communication through Audits Employer Branding and Reputation Respecting Employees within Organizations and PR’s Role PR and HR Relationship Building Encroachment and Turf Battles Envisioning the HR–PR Cross-Unit Working Relationship Summary/Discussion References Chapter 2 Organizations, HR, CSR, and Their Social Networks: “Sustainability” on Twitter Introduction PR and Employee Engagement Social Network Analysis (SNA) Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) Structural Nature of Social Networks Method Findings Twitter Sustainability RQ1: What Is the Nature of CSR/SoME from Various Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives? RQ2: To What Extent May CSR/SoMe Be Utilized to Promote Corporate Interests through Use of Employee Social Networks? Modeling the Intersection of CSR and Sustainability RQ3: How May These Employees Function as PR Brand Ambassadors for CSR/SoMe Content Conclusions and Discussion Acknowledgment References Chapter 3 Nonprofit Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Engaging Urban Youth through Empowerment Introduction Literature Review Urban Youth and the Environment Conservation–Environmental Program Benefits Nonprofits and Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Barriers to Conservation–Environmental Program Success Empowerment as Key to Conservation–Environmental Program Development The Critical Social Theory of Youth Empowerment Framework Summary and Research Questions Method Data Collection Data Analysis Findings Discussion Recommendations Limitations and Future Study References Appendix A: Data Collection Sheet for RQ1 Appendix B: Data Collection Sheet for RQ2 Chapter 4 Overcoming Regional Retention Issues: How Some Michigan Organizations Use CSR to Attract and Engage Top Talent Introduction Review of Literature Excellence Theory Corporate Social Responsibility Recruiting the Millennial Generation through CSR Using CSR to Engage and Retain Employees The Michigan Employment Climate Summary and Research Question Method Data Collection Data Analysis Findings Theme 1: Evolving Recruitment Activities with CSR in Mind Theme 2: Highlighting CSR in Employee Value Propositions Theme 3: Rooting CSR into Organizational Culture Theme 4: Empowering and Developing Employees through CSR Discussion References Chapter 5 Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteerism, and Social Identity: A Case Study of Cotopaxi Introduction Review of Literature Method Participants Data Collection Video Analysis Findings Experienced Volunteer Kindred Spirit Volunteer Emerging Volunteer Discussion and Conclusion References Chapter 6 A Study of University Social Responsibility (USR) Practices at Rwanda’s Institut Catholique de Kabgayi Introduction Review of Literature Higher Education and Social Responsibility The African Continent and Rwandan Context Organization–Employee Relationships in University Settings Community Outreach in University Settings Method Data Collection Data Analysis Findings Discussion/Conclusions References Chapter 7 Corporate Social Responsibility: Johnson & Johnson Creating Community Relations and Value through Open Social Innovation and Partnership across Sub-Saharan Africa Introduction Literature Review and Theoretical Background CSR and Stakeholder Trust Open Social Innovation as a Basis for CSR CSR and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Roles of Human Resources, Public Relations, and CSR Communication Open Social Innovation and CSR: The Case of Johnson & Johnson Method Data Collection and Analysis Findings Discussion References Chapter 8 Examining Public Relations’ Role in Shaping Organizational Culture, with Implications for PR, HR, and CSR/Sustainability Introduction Review of Literature Understanding Corporate or Organizational Culture Corporate Culture and Implications for PR and HR Management Organizational Culture and CSR/Sustainability A Communication Audit of Organizational Culture The Setting and Research Method Interviews Content Analysis of Newsletter Stories Postanalysis Interview and Updates Findings Interviews Content Analysis Post Interview Data Collected for Communication Audit Conclusions, Discussion, Future Studies Application Opportunities References Chapter 9 Hiring Programs for Military Veterans and Athletes Use HR and PR to Demonstrate Human Dimension of Corporate Social Responsibility Introduction Stakeholder Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility Role of Human Resources Role of Public Relations Background on Hiring Military Veterans Communicating Veteran Hiring Programs Small Businesses Programs for Hiring Veterans Media Relations and Military Veteran Hiring Programs Background on Hiring Olympic Athletes Communicating Hiring Programs for Olympic Athletes Best Practices and Conclusions References Chapter 10 Failure to Activate: EpiPen, Legitimacy Challenges, and the Importance of Employee CSR Introduction Literature Review CSR and Employees Employees and Social Exchange Theory Method Data Collection Data Analysis Findings Access to Healthcare Doing What’s Right, Not What’s Easy Doing Good and Doing Well Discussion Recommendations References Chapter 11 Inspiring Employees through CSR: Lessons from a Gambling Giant Introduction Casino Gambling in the United States Corporate Social Responsibility in the Gaming Industry Inspiring Our World More Than Just a Title: MGM Uses CSR to Enhance Employee Engagement CSR and Employees: A Multifaceted Relationship Inspiring MGM’s Employees Caution Needed: Some Concerns and Warnings about Employee Engagement Learning from MGM: Advice for HR Managers References About the Authors Index Nowhere is the study of workplace ethics more relevant today than in the context of empowering organizations to meet their goals in corporate social responsibility and sustainability (CSR/S). Aimed at helping organizations uphold their commitments to people and the planet as well as profit, these are core goals towards which both PR and HR departments now work. However one major stumbling block is the fact that while internal departments may regularly work closely when managing and communicating with employees, the communication flow tends to be top down. In order to create more socially responsible, sustainable, and ethical organizations, the communication flow must be more organic and bilateral. The question of how both teams could work together on a more even playing field has escaped scholarly inquiry for years. Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, et Ethical Public Relations: Strengthening Synergies with Human Resources examines ways to make CSR/S an integrated ingredient and ethical hallmark for an organization's culture. Here authors from around the globe use a variety of research methods to offer practical, empirical findings, exploring opportunities for employees to serve as a conduit for organizations' CSR/S goals. This book shows how HR-PR department cooperation can fulfil the role of organizational conscience, helping for-profits and non-profits to navigate toward greater CSR/S This book offers practical advice for building organizations with social responsibility and sustainability organically built in – based on two-way communication between human resources (HR) and public relations (PR) departments working together as an organizational conscience touchstone benefiting People, Planet, and Profit.