Ethnic Food and Sustainability : An analysis of how Thai restaurants in Sweden practice and communicate CSR

Abstract: The ethnic food industry has grown substantially due to globalisation and migration trends. However, food sustainability has been rarely studied in ethnic food business literature.Ethnic food businesses are considered small migrant businesses, characterised by dimensions like size and cultural context. This thesis aims to study Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice and communication in small migrant businesses, especially CSR communication, which is rarely studied in the context of small migrant businesses. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the owner-manager of Thai restaurants in Sweden. In the case of Thai restaurants in Sweden, the researcher found two types of relationships between CSR walk and CSR talk. The first relationship is 'Walking to Talk', which happens when CSR communication influences and shapes CSR practice. The second relationship is 'T(w)alking', which happens when CSR practice and communication emerge simultaneously when the CSR communication constitutes CSR practice as mentioned in the Communicative Constitution of Organisations (CCO) theory. In addition, the researcher found the pattern of 'CSR Walk but no Talk' as a result of the business insights found by the researcher; this thesis provides implications for business and policies.