CSR Communication Research: Methodological Perspectives on Semiotics

Despite the proliferation of studies on CSR communication, there is lack of consensus and a cardinal methodological base for research on the quality of CSR communication. Over the decades, the findings from previous studies on the subject have remained conflicting, unintegrated and sometimes overlapping. Drawing on semiotics – a linguistic-based theoretical and analytical tool, our paper explores an alternative perspective to evaluating the quality and veracity of CSR reports. Our two-phased analysis employed the Greimas semiotics narrative schema and the semiotic square of veridiction to draw meanings from the corporate community involvement disclosures (CCID) of selected UK FTSE100 companies. Our paper advances CSR communication research by introducing a theoretical methodology which provides unique insights into how to evaluate the authenticity and quality of CSR communication. In addition, we present a distinctive CSR reliability model capable of guiding policy makers and corporations in designing CSR reporting standards.