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Corporate social responsibility as a strategic narrative: The cases of UK project-based organisations

2022; Elsevier BV; Volume: 3; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.plas.2022.100073

2666-7215

Natalya Sergeeva, Evangelia Kapetanaki,

Construction Project Management and Performance

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic narrative that has continuously gained attention from policy makers, practitioners and academics over the last few decades. However, there are limited project management studies which specifically explore CSR-related policy and strategic narrative, and a process of translating it into project-based organisations and their projects. This research study contributes to the existing project management studies by providing insights into the ways project-based organisations formalise and communicate CSR-related narratives and show initiatives and actions in response to wider policy agenda. Through an in-depth analysis of three case studies, we show the ways CSR narratives have been (re)constructed and they ways organisations socially construct their identities as socially responsible. The policy agenda is translated into narratives of corporate responsibility, commitments and actions demonstrated by project-based organisations. Project-based organisations are active players in committing to achieving policy agenda and delivering projects that address and promote CSR. • Project-based organisations craft, maintain and promote strategic narratives of corporate responsibility. • It is through narratives of CSR that project-based organisations create their identities as socially responsible businesses valuable for society. • The policy agenda is translated into narratives of corporate responsibility, commitments and actions by project-based organisations and their projects. • The governance interface drives a process of translating policy into corporate responsibility and commitments by organisations and their projects. • There is an ongoing process of (re)labelling in organisations such as corporate social responsibility, corporate responsibility and new labels emerging.