CSR-kommunikation mellan moder- och dotterbolag En jämförande fallstudie om kommunikationen av CSR hos multinationella företag i tjänstesektorn och tillverkningssektorn

Abstract

Background and problem discussion: Multinational companies have many stakeholders who review their CSR, and studies show that communication of CSR may be lost between parent and subsidiary companies. Additional factors that affect the internal communication of CSR are whether the company is a service company or a manufacturing company. Multinationalism and the company's fundamental business can both have an impact on how the internal communication of CSR is communicated, implemented and influences the engagement of employees. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to analyze how CSR is communicated internally and how it differs between a service company and a manufacturing company, both owned by foreign parent companies. Methodology: The study is a comparative case study that uses a qualitative method with a abductive approach. The study is based on both primary and secondary sources and the study's empirical data was collected through eight semi-structured interviews, four at each case company. The empirical data has been analyzed using the study's theory section, which consists of theories regarding CSR communication and engagement. Conclusion: The study finds clear differences between the two case companies' CSR communication. The main reasons for the distinctions are based on the companies' different business models, where the manufacturing company Elga must comply with comprehensive legislation connected to their production, whereas the service company Planon does not have to take this into account to the same extent. Furthermore, the structure of internal communication has an impact on employee engagement, where transparency and inclusion are shown to be the most important factors in both companies. Finally, it can be concluded that effective internal communication is of great importance to multinational companies, as it is a basic prerequisite for communicating their CSR.