The role of corporate social responsibility in enhancing brand reputation
Ahmed, Shafayat (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121637106
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121637106
Tiivistelmä
Businesses used to view Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a voluntary practice for helping others. Businesses today need to implement CSR as a fundamental operational requirement. The modern business environment demands CSR because it helps companies build customer trust and maintain their corporate image while creating social benefits. This desk-based thesis examines brand image enhancement through CSR
using open-access sources and peer-reviewed scholarly publications and business reports.
The research design used qualitative methods with exploratory approach to analyse existing studies through thematic analysis. The research used Carroll’s CSR Pyramid, Triple Bottom Line framework and ESG perspectives as theoretical bases to explain how CSR practices affect reputation through stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and signalling theory.
Findings indicate that CSR initiatives extensively contribute to constructing and strengthening brand popularity by way of improving trust, customer loyalty, and corporate credibility. Environmental and social dimensions of CSR, such as sustainable production, fair labour practices, and community engagement, are particularly influential in shaping positive stakeholder perceptions. However, challenging situations such as greenwashing, inconsistent reporting requirements, and confined resources present boundaries to completely realizing CSR’s reputational advantages.
The thesis concludes that CSR can be a long-term strategic asset if it is applied honestly and in line with business ideals. The report gives managers advice on how to use CSR tactics to improve communication with stakeholders and brand image. For scholars, it provides a theoretical structure to conduct additional research and compiles the body of literature on the relationship between CSR and image. The author's abilities in writing for academic purposes, analytical thinking, and methodical evaluation of literature are also enhanced by the research.
using open-access sources and peer-reviewed scholarly publications and business reports.
The research design used qualitative methods with exploratory approach to analyse existing studies through thematic analysis. The research used Carroll’s CSR Pyramid, Triple Bottom Line framework and ESG perspectives as theoretical bases to explain how CSR practices affect reputation through stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and signalling theory.
Findings indicate that CSR initiatives extensively contribute to constructing and strengthening brand popularity by way of improving trust, customer loyalty, and corporate credibility. Environmental and social dimensions of CSR, such as sustainable production, fair labour practices, and community engagement, are particularly influential in shaping positive stakeholder perceptions. However, challenging situations such as greenwashing, inconsistent reporting requirements, and confined resources present boundaries to completely realizing CSR’s reputational advantages.
The thesis concludes that CSR can be a long-term strategic asset if it is applied honestly and in line with business ideals. The report gives managers advice on how to use CSR tactics to improve communication with stakeholders and brand image. For scholars, it provides a theoretical structure to conduct additional research and compiles the body of literature on the relationship between CSR and image. The author's abilities in writing for academic purposes, analytical thinking, and methodical evaluation of literature are also enhanced by the research.