The Communication of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Apparel Industry: : A Multi-Channel Investigation

Abstract: While corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure has proliferated in the apparel industry since the 1990s, CSR communications research remains underdeveloped. While the extant literature investigates how brands utilise CSR reports and websites to communicate CSR, little attention has been given to other communication channels. In response, this thesis explores how apparel brands use different corporate communication channels to communicate CSR to stakeholders. Using ethnographic content analysis, the CSR reports, corporate websites and Facebook posts of thirty apparel brands were analysed. Findings indicate that brands approach CSR communication strategically with approximately two-thirds of brands consistently using the same channel combination for each CSR topic, while the remaining third employ a dynamic approach, using different channel combinations to discuss different CSR topics. While CSR reports and websites show a typically moderate-high level of utilisation for the discussion of CSR topics, the same CSR topics are considerably less likely to be discussed over Facebook. Facebook CSR communication is generally selective, with contentious issues seldom addressed via this channel. There is little consistency between brands in how they approached CSR communication, with each brand employing a combination of strategies to legitimise their business practices and demonstrate their good corporate citizenship. This study empirically supports and extends research conducted on single channel CSR communications of apparel brands and suggests that brands are cognizant of the business case for CSR as well as the repercussions of poorly executed CSR communication.