Corporate Social Responsibility in Transitional Countries: Public Relations as a Component of Public Diplomacy in Romania

Abstract

This study explores corporate citizenship as a component of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and considers how corporations may work as nonstate actors in diplomatic efforts, using a theoretical framework of political CSR that includes corporate citizenship. It also looks at how congruent CSR strategies are with cultural values of the host country. It used a qualitative analysis of 90 news releases found on Romanian Web sites of U.S. corporations, written in Romanian, and analyzed by Romanian researchers who provided a cultural lens through which to assess cultural congruency. Findings show CSR activities of U.S. companies are not always congruent with Romanian cultural norms, but may contribute to a culture-building process in transitional, post-Communist countries.