The evolution of CSR Communication in the Oil Industry: Insights from The Royal Dutch/Shell

The concept of corporate social responsibility has increased in importance over the years, because of the pressures from the society which sees corporations as having an obligation to do more than just make profits. To be more transparent towards their stakeholders, companies everywhere have started diffusing CSR reports, which aim to communicate the various initiatives to which they take part to. However, there are certain companies which face particular challenges when communicating their CSR initiatives, because they are seen with suspicion by stakeholders. These are those businesses which belong to controversial sectors, such as the alcohol, tobacco and oil ones. The latter provide the context for this thesis, which examines the annual sustainability reports of one oil company, the Royal Dutch/Shell, an interesting corporation to analyze because of its size and its long history in CSR reporting. The aim of this research is to approach the problem of CSR communication and legitimation in Shell, by looking at the changes in its reporting practices over the years. Thus, this thesis uses a longitudinal approach and analyses the totality of the company’s CSR reports belonging to a time frame of 19 years. By examining the reports, the following questions will be addressed: (1) how has the framing of CSR motivation in Shell’s annual CSR reports changed over time, (2) how have the characteristics of Shell’s CSR strategies and practices developed in time and (3) how has Shell evolved its communication strategies in order to legitimize its CSR initiatives and increase the effectiveness of its CSR communication over the years? This paper builds on existing studies on the topic, but tries to bridge the gaps in the literature for future research and application.