Notes any barriers to PR professional acquiring and demonstrating such capabilities in practice

There are a number of factors that can hinder the PR professional from acquiring and demonstrating capabilities that are communicative and geared in the same direction as the CSR strategic agenda. One of these factors relates to how the organizational culture of the particular institution is driven in terms of its public relations. First, if the PR does not encourage or use interactive communication but rather only uses one way communication this can act as a barrier to achieving the communicative capabilities relevant to CSR agenda. Moreover, unethical activities intermarried with self-promotion can make it difficult for the professional to exhibit these capabilities. Rigidity can also deny the professional to realize the importance of flexibility in a dynamic world that changes with needs and interests of the stakeholders (Francesco 2010).

Meanwhile, if the professionals are embroiled in skeptic approach to the importance of CSR and merely look at it as an attempt for organizations to achieve positive publicity, this alone can act as a blocking veil to them (Sehic & Sabanovic 2008). In addition, there is tendency, as observed by Hart and Sharma (2004), to ignore some stakeholders that are basically non-human on the grounds that they are not central to the operation of the business and hence cannot help in achievement of the CSR strategic agendas. Yet, this point is intricately tied to the ability of the PR professionals to realize that flexibility in a dynamic environment is important such that every stakeholder is very important in determining the success of the strategic CSR agenda (Redington 2005). CEO leadership styles can also affect the end results of the strategies laid down in the organization-wide campaign to achieve CSR agenda. If the top-most management predominantly engages in short-term incentive based business approaches, this can deter them from seeing the bigger picture of a long-term approach that incorporates the strategic CSR agenda for the organization.

Reference

Francesco P. (2010) Developing Corporate Social Responsibility: A European Perspective. London: Edward Elgar Publishing

Hart, S. and S. Sharma: 2004, ‘Engaging Fringe Stakeholders for Competitive Imagination’, Academy of Management Executive 18, 8–18.

Redington I (2005). Making CSR Happen: the contribution of people management. London: Sage Publications

Sehic, D. & Sabanovic J (2008). Corporate social responsibility of B&H companies in globalization. – 5th International Scientific Conference in Business http://leidykla.vgtu.lt/conferences/BUS_AND_MANA_2008/soc-economical/598-605-G-Art-Sehic_Sabanovic.pdf