A New CSR Low: The Corporate Funding of Disinformation Websites in the Czech Republic

Dr. Radka MacGregor Pelikánová and Dr. Todd Nesbitt coauthored an article titled “(In)Effective Communication About Social Responsibility? Examining Large European Businesses in the Czech Republic” featuring UNYP COM faculty Dr. Radka MacGregor Pelikánová and Dr. Todd Nesbitt explores the communication strategies of large European businesses operating in the Czech Republic regarding their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. It features a novel new approach by the department in bringing together MacGregor Pelikánová’s expertise in CSR, and Dr. Nesbitt’s work in disinformation and propaganda. The result is a direct blow aimed at those multi-national corporations that are involved in the spread of hatred and lies, all the while maintaining a ‘clean’ socially responsible public image.
The authors conduct a case study involving 50 companies, including 35 that are recognized as CSR leaders and 15 competitors. The companies are assessed based on their CSR communications via their websites. The study evaluates their communication across eight categories: economic, environmental, social, employee relations, human rights, research and development, respect, and waste reduction.
A significant finding of the study is that while the CSR leaders communicate extensively about their social responsibility, the effectiveness of these communications is questioned. Shockingly, many of these companies were found to be advertising on disinformation websites, which contradicts the basic principles of social responsibility. This raise concerns not only about the authenticity and consistency of their CSR communications, but also about the role of the corporate financing of anti-democratic forces. The authors call for more honest and morally sound CSR communications and hope to conduct further research to explore these dynamics in different contexts and jurisdictions.

https://journals.vilniustech.lt/index.php/BMEE/article/view/21414