Impact of a CSR Program on a Company's Image and Reputation:A Case Study

Abstract

Of late, Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, has become a common practice among many businesses. Though there is no detailed measurement available on the impact of these practices on business performance, CSR is believed to have a positive relationship with a company’s goodwill and also be a mean to a more profitable operation. This article presents some empirical evidence that aims to answer the following question: does CSR practice influence a company’s image and reputation? Questionnaires were used and personal interviews conducted to survey 400 stakeholders of the case company – Siam Cement Group (SCG) Thailand, considered a CSR pioneer in the CSR movement. The author reports that CSR programs, which pertain to economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic concerns, have been found to have a low to medium influence on SCG’s image and reputation. It can be concluded that because of its prominent practice, SCG has built a good corporate image and reputation in the community. The author takes the view that SCG should further integrate CSR programs into its business strategies, broaden its CSR network to its various stakeholders, put more emphasis on environmental issues, and employ an efficient measurement mechanism for evaluating the impacts and benefits of its CSR programs.