The Sound of Silence: Conceptualizing Strategic CSR Silence as a Communication Practice
(2025) BUSN39 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Abstract
Title: The Sound of Silence: Conceptualizing Strategic CSR Silence as a Communication Practice
Date of Seminar: 05-06-2025
Course: BUSN39 - Degree Project in Global Marketing - Master Level
Authors: Bob Groeneveld and Vivian Reijntjes
Supervisor: Jon Bertilsson
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); CSR Communication; Strategic Silence; Critical Theory; Discursive Closure; Topical Avoidance; Qualitative Content Analysis
Research Question: “How do organizations practice strategic silence as part of their CSR-communication?”
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how strategic silence within CSR communication is constructed and maintained within organizations and their communication... (More) - Abstract
Title: The Sound of Silence: Conceptualizing Strategic CSR Silence as a Communication Practice
Date of Seminar: 05-06-2025
Course: BUSN39 - Degree Project in Global Marketing - Master Level
Authors: Bob Groeneveld and Vivian Reijntjes
Supervisor: Jon Bertilsson
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); CSR Communication; Strategic Silence; Critical Theory; Discursive Closure; Topical Avoidance; Qualitative Content Analysis
Research Question: “How do organizations practice strategic silence as part of their CSR-communication?”
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how strategic silence within CSR communication is constructed and maintained within organizations and their communication practices.
Theoretical Perspective: The main theoretical framework is grounded in critical theory (Bottomore, 2002; Celikates & Flynn, 2023; Deetz, 1992; Gottlieb, 1981; Habermas, 1970b) and is further developed through the concepts of legitimacy (Kates, 2004; Suchman, 1995), morality (Crane & Desmond, 2002), discursive closure (Bertilsson & Rennstam, 2018; Deetz, 1992), peripheral inclusion (Rennstam & Sullivan, 2017), topical avoidance (Deetz, 1992; Bertilsson & Rennstam, 2018) and signaling theory (Connelly et al. 2010). These perspectives provide a comprehensive lens for analyzing how organizations construct and maintain strategic silence in CSR communication.
Method: To address the research question, a qualitative content analysis was conducted, examining 60 company-issued documents from IKEA and Apple, with 259 individual quotes analyzed. The study is grounded in a social constructionist perspective and follows an abductive reasoning approach.
Empirical results: The findings reveal that organizations such as IKEA and Apple engage in strategic CSR silence using emotionally loaded language, overt omissions, subtle discursive practices and aspirational, future-oriented promises. These strategies collectively serve to manage legitimacy and sustain reputation, while avoiding deeper scrutiny. A common trait across these strategies is their discursive subtlety.
Conclusion: Our study concludes that our conceptual framework of strategic CSR silence is not a passive absence of communication but an active, carefully structured practice. It enables organizations to appear transparent and responsible, while avoiding accountability and transformative change. Ultimately, this upholds the status quo and supports continued profitability, often at the expense of addressing exploitative business models. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9206513
- author
- Reijntjes, Vivian Arjenne LU and Groeneveld, Bob Lode LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), CSR Communication, Strategic Silence, Critical Theory, Discursive Closure, Topical Avoidance, Qualitative Content Analysis
- language
- English
- id
- 9206513
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-30 12:15:46
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 12:15:46
@misc{9206513,
abstract = {{Abstract
Title: The Sound of Silence: Conceptualizing Strategic CSR Silence as a Communication Practice
Date of Seminar: 05-06-2025
Course: BUSN39 - Degree Project in Global Marketing - Master Level
Authors: Bob Groeneveld and Vivian Reijntjes
Supervisor: Jon Bertilsson
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); CSR Communication; Strategic Silence; Critical Theory; Discursive Closure; Topical Avoidance; Qualitative Content Analysis
Research Question: “How do organizations practice strategic silence as part of their CSR-communication?”
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how strategic silence within CSR communication is constructed and maintained within organizations and their communication practices.
Theoretical Perspective: The main theoretical framework is grounded in critical theory (Bottomore, 2002; Celikates & Flynn, 2023; Deetz, 1992; Gottlieb, 1981; Habermas, 1970b) and is further developed through the concepts of legitimacy (Kates, 2004; Suchman, 1995), morality (Crane & Desmond, 2002), discursive closure (Bertilsson & Rennstam, 2018; Deetz, 1992), peripheral inclusion (Rennstam & Sullivan, 2017), topical avoidance (Deetz, 1992; Bertilsson & Rennstam, 2018) and signaling theory (Connelly et al. 2010). These perspectives provide a comprehensive lens for analyzing how organizations construct and maintain strategic silence in CSR communication.
Method: To address the research question, a qualitative content analysis was conducted, examining 60 company-issued documents from IKEA and Apple, with 259 individual quotes analyzed. The study is grounded in a social constructionist perspective and follows an abductive reasoning approach.
Empirical results: The findings reveal that organizations such as IKEA and Apple engage in strategic CSR silence using emotionally loaded language, overt omissions, subtle discursive practices and aspirational, future-oriented promises. These strategies collectively serve to manage legitimacy and sustain reputation, while avoiding deeper scrutiny. A common trait across these strategies is their discursive subtlety.
Conclusion: Our study concludes that our conceptual framework of strategic CSR silence is not a passive absence of communication but an active, carefully structured practice. It enables organizations to appear transparent and responsible, while avoiding accountability and transformative change. Ultimately, this upholds the status quo and supports continued profitability, often at the expense of addressing exploitative business models.}},
author = {{Reijntjes, Vivian Arjenne and Groeneveld, Bob Lode}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Sound of Silence: Conceptualizing Strategic CSR Silence as a Communication Practice}},
year = {{2025}},
}