This thesis presents an empirical inquiry that explicitly exposes the relationships between CSR practice in Malaysia and the scope of PR. This thesis embraced a critical approach which offers alternate readings in Malaysian PR literature which are dominantly quantitative in nature. The focus is on how socio-political, economic, cultural and organizational contexts shape the practice of CSR and affect the scope and function of PR in pursuing the practice. This thesis has contributed to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the underlying motives behind the pursuit of CSR among businesses in the country. It also offers empirical data on PR roles in pursuing CSR in Malaysia – something that has received very little attention in the literature despite PR’s perceived potentials in spearheading the function. This empirical work has employed semi-structured interviews among PR managers and CSR managers working in renowned CSR organizations in Malaysia. In addition, the thesis analyses executives’ messages in CSR reports and later triangulated with interview findings that helped to achieve a rich description of the topic under study. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was adopted in this thesis and made explicit the relationships between socio-political, economic and cultural dimensions that shape CSR practice and the scope of PR by taking into consideration the presence of power relations in this phenomenon. Fairclough’s (2010) three dimensional frameworks was adopted to enable interpretation go beyond texts that mainly applied to data from CSR reports. The literature revealed CSR practice is a recent phenomenon in Malaysia whereby the government has been a major driver in its development. Drawing from Malaysian experience, economic growth is fundamental to ensure a fair distribution of wealth among multi-races in Malaysia that perceived imperative to preserve national unity. In this respect, CSR initiatives have been largely undertaken to achieve the long term survival of businesses that consequently drive the nation’s economy in a long term. CSR has been primarily constructed as a means to create business competitiveness and a symbol for success. This has been widely accepted among business firms in Malaysia thus become ideological. At the same time, PR role was found dominant in promoting the practice of CSR that appears to be working to the advantage of the dominant groups i.e., business and government. Nevertheless, how PR promotes mutual interests of business and society through CSR remain obscure. This thesis also argues that the motivation to promote business interests serves as the key stumbling block for PR in creating sustainable impact and value to other than it paymaster and financial stakeholders. This thesis suggests that it is time for PR to reflect on this common practice particularly in terms of its ethical implications to both the organizations and the value of PR profession as a whole. This empirical study has significantly contributed particularly in the realm of PR role research in CSR within specific social-cultural, political, economic contexts of Malaysia and PR research from the critical perspectives.

Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, 2006. / Bibliography: p. 240-276. / Introduction -- "Greening" phenomena of corporate environmental management and reporting -- China's environmental management and reporting -- Research theoretical methodology -- "Evolutionary epic" of China's environmental management institutions -- Findings and conceptualisation of CEM and CER -- Further discussion and implications -- Conclusion. / What was once the preserve of a 'green' social organisational fringe, Corporate Environmental Management (CEM) and Corporate Environmental Reporting (CER), have increasingly become a core business strategy. Research studies in this arena have been centred on industrialised nations (e.g., Guthrie and Parker, 1990), and until recently, comparatively sparse focus on developing nations (Belal, 2000), particularly in empirical studies on CER in the People's Republic of China (PRC). -- As the most populous nation on earth with one fifth of humanity (1.3 billions), China's astounding economic growth and resource consumption (Economist, 2005), provide 'telescoping' lessons in understanding the embracing of CEM and CER in rapidly developing countries. Motivated by China's unique institutional structure and embryonic stage of environmentalism (Luo and Yuwen, 2001; Chan and Welford, 2005), this field study explored the 'greening' phenomena of CEM and CER as perceived by senior managers in Shanghai. -- Utilising a modified grounded research approach (Strauss and Corbin, 1990; 1994; Whiteley, 2004), the constructivist ontology was chosen to penetrate the social context of the companies interviewed. Grounded in the data and applying interpretive epistemology, this qualitative research elucidated our awareness about the normative assumptions underpinning CEM and CER in Shanghai. The emergent model illuminated our understanding of how Chinese institutions and senior individuals within enterprises responded to the greening challenges, and how senior managers matched their personal beliefs with perceived CEM and CER. -- The results in this study indicated that CEM and CER were influenced and/or constrained by formal institutional rules (e.g., environmental policies and laws) and informal cultural institutional norms (e.g., Guanxi, trust and secrecy). The findings resonate well with institutional theoretical constraints (Powell and DiMaggio, 1991; Fogarty, 1992a) and cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1962). This is attributable to the dilemma of balancing the 'yin and yang' of long term environmental sustainability and short term economic growth. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / viii, 289 p. ill

Thesis (M.M.S.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed February 27, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-192)

Thesis (Kandidatspeciale / MA)--Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen. / Title from screen page; viewed 25 July 2005. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.

Abridged Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Regensburg, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [329]-347).

Zugl.: St. Gallen (Schweiz), Univ., Habil.-Schr.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: HIV/AIDS has been seen as a thorn in the Corporate World's flesh. It is destroying the workforce like a swarm of locust on a wheat field. The Government Departmental Sectors are no exceptions. This paper has been written after a through project that was undertaken at the Department of Transport and Public Works in Cape Town. It was found that there is a great need for HIV/AIDS Education and Life skills Training amongst all Government Departments. The objectives of the researcher were also based on the ILO's document and our South African Labour Law. The employees at 7 (Seven) District Offices were educated and workshoped on HIV/AIDS Education. It was impossible to have all three Employee Assistant Programmes conducted within 7 (Seven) months of the project. The programmes for HIV/AIDS Education and Training entailed Pre-Awareness, Awareness and Post-Awareness. Only the Pre- Awareness programme was completed with a bit of Awareness was covered. In the workplace situation, time means money and it seems as if less time is allocated to the health part of the employees. Common and better methods in facilitating for HIV/AIDS Education and Trainings were by "Cascade Model, On-Job-Training (OJT) or Front Line Training (FLT) and Workshop Sessions" seem to be more appropriate, yielding better communication skills between the employees and employers. A simple questionnaire was constructed on the basis that the sample group was workshopped. The response was great and constructive comments were received from the employees, for example a question was "Do you find it good to celebrate the 09th - 15th February: Condom Week; 16th May: International AIDS Candle Memorial Day and 01st December: World AIDS Day"? Answer: YES - It creates awareness and unites people for the same course. It became interesting to the researcher in noticing how HIV/AIDS Education and Life Skills Training(HAELST) is very much needed in both Corporate/Private Sectors and Government Departments. In conclusion, recommendations are suggested to all Government Departmental and Private Sectors in HIV/AIDS Education and Training. The ball remains in the Corporate World to apply them as a tool to avoid loosing well qualified and skilful employees because of HIV/AIDS. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die noodsaaklikheid van opleiding aan regeringsinstansies in MIV/Vigs en lewensvaardighede te beklemtoon. Die studie het op die Departement van Vervoer en Openbare Sake gefokus. Werknemers van 7 distrikskantore het werkswinkels in die verband bygewoon. Die werkswinkels het hoofsaaklik op voor-bewustheid, bewustheid en na-bewustheid van MIV/Vigs gefokus. Die data is deur middel van ‘n vraelys ingesamel wat die proefpersone na afloop van die werkswinkel voltooi het. Dit is bevind dat daar ‘n geweldige behoefte vir MIV/Vigs en lewensvaardigheid opleiding by privaat- sowel as regeringsinstansies is. Die aanbeveling is dat die instansies hul werknemers in die verband moet oplei op te verhoed dat hul gekwalifiseerde en vaardige werknemers as gevolg van MIV/Vigs verloor.

This thesis presents a political geography of transparency, regulation and resource making in shale gas projects in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The emergence of shale gas as a politically and economically desirable resource occupied national political aspirations, most notably in the US and to some extent in the UK, for reasons of energy security and economic development. Although shale gas has become a globally desirable resource, this thesis shows that the resource is not same everywhere. Following knowledge making practices in distinct regulatory regimes of the UK and the US, I trace how making of shale gas resource is subjected to contestation in a range of technical fields, such as law, economics, geosciences and environmental impact assessment. The study is based on in-depth analysis of technical and policy documents, and interviews with a wide range of actors (i.e. regulators, gas companies, investors, scientists, landowners), and field visits in the US (New York, Pennsylvania and Texas) and the UK (Lancashire, Litchfield and London). Drawing on theoretical insights from the Science and Technology Studies (STS), legal and resource geographies, I empirically showed that both regulatory practices and resource materialities matter in encapsulating making of shale gas projects in different national contexts. Documenting how information production and its contestation is entangled with assemblages of materials and technologies, as well as regulatory, geoscientific and market interventions in the context of the UK and the US, this thesis offers an alternative account of the geography of transparency and regulation regarding the development of shale gas policies. The political viability of shale projects depends on how these informational spaces are generated, contested and transformed in nationally specific scientific practices and regulatory regimes.

This study identified the media frames that dominate Thisday newspaper's coverage of China's engagement with Nigeria and relate these frames to frame sponsors, who articulate and contest these framings. Frame analysis is applied to a sample of 40 news, feature and opinion articles between the sample period of 1 November 2011 and 31 December 2012. The study analysed media content from Thisday newspapers, drawing on the four dimensions of frames identified by Entman: define problems, diagnose causes, evaluate causal agents and their effects, and recommend treatment (Entman 1993). Using an inductive approach to frame analysis, the study identified two overarching mega frames, contested among the ruling elites who sponsor their views on China in the media, which define China's engagement with Nigeria; partner/role model and predator. The two mega frames mirror the broad characterisation prevalent in the academic literature on China in Africa. The primary partner/role model mega frame constructs China's engagement with Nigeria as a mutually beneficial economic partnership while on the other hand the predator mega frame constructs it as unequal and exploitative. The study identified the activities of frame sponsors who are articulating and promoting their views on China's engagement with Nigeria in the media as primarily responsible for these framings. The study also identified the activities of frame sponsors (ruling and economic elites) was key to the exclusion of ordinary peoples' voices, civic organisations, trade unions and human rights organisation in the text. However, the study also attributes the exclusion of ordinary voices, human rights, democracy and civic engagements in the text to the weakness of Thisday journalism in mediating the framings of China being promoted and articulated by elite frame sponsors. This is, however, symptomatic of the fault lines of journalism practice in Nigeria.

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