CSR Communications of Manufacturing Industries in Northern Mindanao: An Environmental Discourse Analysis
Author: Venus R. Parmisana (Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, The Philippines)
Speaker: Venus R. Parmisana
Topic: Ethnography of Communication
The (SCOPUS / ISI) SOAS GLOCAL CALA 2020 General Session
Abstract
Business reporting in manufacturing industries ideally reveals the ethical and social responsibilities for their actions towards society and the environment. Industrial companies engage in strategies and initiatives, called corporate social responsibility (CSR), that render impact to their immediate communities and the environment. This study looks into the environmental features in the CSR of seven industrial companies in Northern Mindanao region in the Philippines. A triangulation method is employed to include CSR reports on websites, modified survey questionnaire, and in-depth interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative methodology, the study takes a systemic functional linguistic approach and a social practice inquiry in investigating stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions on the goals, strategies, actors or partners that demonstrate the companies’ CSR impacts. The study further aims to describe what have been done, or what have been missed, to protect the environment and the people. From the data analyzed, findings reveal that prevalent nominalizations in the data would show these companies have a way of softening the impact of their operations and products have into the community and the environment. Majority of the stakeholders have sufficient knowledge about the CSR initiatives, are highly concerned about the effects of the companies on their environment, and highly aware of the individuals and groups who have been putting effort into sustaining their initiatives. The study recommends that companies will re-direct their activities towards reversing environmental degradation and capacitate the community people and other sectors such that they will be involved in protecting the environment.
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Manufacturing Industries, Environmental Discourse, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Discourse Analysis