Are we all socially responsible? How companies from controversial industries sector communicate CSR in Russia.

In the past several decades, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has come to the forefront of all business discussions worldwide. However, research of CSR representation in Russian context is still in its infancy. This thesis examines how Russian companies operating in controversial industries sector, namely oil and gas, communicate CSR via corporate websites, with the focus on motivations for framing CSR practices, the scope of CSR actions and practices, and strategies for CSR communication. Content analysis was undertaken to examine how CSR is represented on the corporate websites of Russian oil and gas companies. The findings revealed that CSR in oil and gas industry in Russia is gradually becoming one of the core business issues but still remains primarily voluntary. In general, CSR is influenced by the role of companies in Russian society. Thus, CSR initiatives are interconnected with social responsibility and social development in general. Notwithstanding this, the research indicated that companies gradually start implementing Western-based CSR initiatives into their business agenda.