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CSR - Just another concept to deal with? : A discourse analytical study of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility: The case of Husqvarna Group

This thesis analyses the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with Husqvarna Group's sustainability reports as empirical basis. The concept of CSR has been studied and attempted to be understood by several previous researchers, but what remains is that it still is an unexplored concept. The aim of the study is to improve the understanding of the concept of CSR and its associated practices over time. To this aim, discourse analysis was identified as a relevant methodological approach. The purpose with discourse analysis is to interpret the written text, and this thesis is therefore based on the author's interpretations of the empirical material collected from Husqvarna Group's sustainability reports from 2010, 2017, and 2023. The empirical material has been analysed based on Carol Bacchi's "What’s the problem represented to be-approach" as well as the addressed theoretical frameworks, Carroll's pyramid of CSR and the neo-institutional concept of legitimacy. Through discourse analysis and the analysis tools, different discourses have been identified that account for mainly the social aspects of CSR. Diversity and innovation both compose an important part of Husqvarna Group's framing of CSR. In the empirical material, an inclusion discourse and an efficiency discourse were identified. Where the inclusion discourse aimed to solve an identified diversity problem, while the efficiency discourse aimed to solve an identified innovation problem. By, amongst others, attracting more women to the company, they contributed to increased diversity within the company. Through partnerships they believed that increased innovative solutions could be established. To follow the expectations and social norms during the given period, their work regarding diversity and innovation has in an unaffected way shifted over time, and thereby also their work regarding the concept of CSR.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-65465
Date January 2024
CreatorsDedic, Selma
PublisherJönköping University, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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