Credibility Communication of CSR Initiatives : A study on credible CSR communication within the gambling industry among millennials.

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly important aspect for companies to consider in a highly competitive business environment. Consequently, stakeholders have shown increased interest in how companies and suppliers relate to sustainable development and place ever higher demands on companies to actively engage in CSR initiatives. However, companies are facing challenges with their CSR communication credibility, especially in the gambling industry. CSR communication credibility is investigated in previous studies where several underlying factors have been presented. However, there is a theoretical gap of how these theories and factors correlate in the gambling industry with regards to CSR communication credibility.  The purpose of this research paper is to identify the different factors affecting CSR communication credibility within the gambling industry among millennials. Furthermore, the purpose is also to enhance the understanding of what to consider in gambling companies' quest for increasing the credibility of their CSR communication. This is done through testing three hypotheses regarding different constructs, namely CSR credibility, corporate image and institutional credibility and how they influence CSR communication credibility. The research is quantitative in nature and employs a descriptive-explanatory approach, using an online survey to collect primary data. The online survey was distributed to previous and current customer of a Swedish gambling enterprise, which yielded a total sample size of 495 which was used for the statistical analysis.  The findings suggest that the underlying factors CSR commitment, company as a source, information attractiveness and reputation influence CSR communication credibility and all factors are needed to be considered when gambling companies investigate their CSR communication credibility.