The Use of Corporate Social Responsibility as a Public Relations Strategy considering Latin America as an example

Inhaltsangabe: Abstract: Economic developments of the last several decades have changed the economic and social structures of industrialized and developing countries, leading to new business opportunities but also to terrifying social dangers and rising ecological catastrophes worldwide. Multinationals are increasingly expected by their stakeholders to find strategies and ways to respond to these international challenges, to play a more active role in addressing social issues, and to take responsibility for their actions in developing countries. It is the task of public relations practitioners to balance these societal demands and stakeholders expectations with the goals of their company and to communicate in an effective manner by developing socially responsible strategies. The effectiveness of strategies and communication programs depends on how public relations practitioners communicate with their stakeholders and on how much effort they make to build and maintain good relationships. To guarantee good relations and effective campaigns, the public relations function must be involved in the overall strategic management process where public relations strategies can be managed by objectives. Furthermore, public relations practitioners have to employ two-way symmetrical communication, to facilitate mutual understanding and relationship-building between their corporation and its stakeholders. Corporations can react to societal demands by using corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a public relations strategy. CSR can be considered either as an opportunity to improve a corporations image and financial success or as a response to arising conflicts and crises. Both strategic approaches are discussed in this study, as, in practice, corporations respond to issues (proactive) but also have to deal with crises (reactive). Today, many corporations use CSR proactively, as they are aware of its various positive outcomes and valuable contributions for both society and i