Public Relations and Corporate Identities: Corporate Social Responsibility- Genuine Concern or Mere Image Building?

Abstract

There is truth in the popular saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. In the present context of a globalised world- with increasing divides between people- a new saying has emerged –‘ It takes the concerted efforts of a company/companies to raise a village’. For many years Public Relations remained self gratifying, leaving little or nothing for society. The sixties saw the field of Public Relations being questioned at different junctures- its efficacy, philosophy and its very existence. The eighties saw a turn-around with Public Relations professionals taking it upon themselves to cleanse the system, to bring in some legitimacy and professionalism.
Jamshedji Tata, the leader among social responsibility theorists in India said, ‘Wealth that comes from people as far as possible must go back to the people’. Most Public Relations professionals are of the opinion that a company that abuses its workforce or conducts business detrimental to society will not enjoy sustained success. In an era of globalization, multinational corporations (those that conduct business in more than one country) and local businesses are no longer able to conduct destructive and unethical practices, such as polluting the environment, without attracting negative feedback from the general public. With increased media attention, pressure from non-governmental organizations, and rapid sharing of global information, there is an increasing demand from civil society, consumers, governments, and others for the corporate sector to conduct sustainable business practices. The present paper titled Public Relations and Corporate Identities: Corporate Social Responsibility- genuine concern or mere image building has taken a closer look at the phenomena of CSR and the benefits thereof of the same. By analyzing select case studies on Corporate Social Responsibility a better understanding has been achieved of this still developing feature of Public Relations. CSR represents ‘the integrity with which a company governs itself, fulfills its mission, lives by its values, engages with its stakeholders, measures its impact and reports on its activities’(TakingItGlobal,2012). Although most people appreciate the recent advancement of CSR, some argue that corporations are still not doing enough or are only acting in self-interest, to gain media mileage. Is CSR in India a genuine move or is it only an excuse to establish brand identities? Does CSR help businesses in their quest for a unique identity and to what extant is this done? Should CSR be made mandatory or allowed to remain voluntary? Is CSR practiced with any degree of genuine care for society? These have been some of the concerns of the present paper.

Keywords: Public Relations= indicating public involvement in creating a bond with the clientele; CSR- Corporate Social Responsibility= an act of giving back to society by corporate sector; Image Building=an exercise to create a good company image ; Corporate Identity= a strategized image/status built over time; Media Mileage=coverage given by different media.