Building a bridge between
corporate reputation and
corporate social responsibility
in the Ukrainian print media
Gennadiy Chernov
School of Journalism, University of Regina, Regina, Canada, and
Katerina Tsetsura
Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication,
University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how corporate reputation (CR) and corporate social
responsibility (CSR) are discussed in the print media in Ukraine. The paper also provides insights into
how the implementation of these concepts contributes to the promotion of the market economy
principles in Ukraine.
Design/methodology/approach – This study employed an interpretive discourse analysis, with
elements of framing analysis, of 102 articles on CR and CSR published in the major Ukrainian print
media between 2007 and 2010, both in Russian and Ukrainian languages. The analyses revealed four
major themes in discussing a growing importance of CR and CSR for Ukrainian businesses.
Findings – The interpretive analysis demonstrated that the government of Ukraine and businesses
try to establish standards for CR and CSR. It also showed that the current economic crisis contributed
to the media coverage of how CR and CSR are defined. The framing analysis showed that some
publications in Ukrainian tend to report on CR and CSR in a positive light, suggesting that the media
should promote these concepts in economic life.
Research/limitations/implications – Future studies might employ methodologies that offer more
active participation, such as in-depth interviewing of journalists who cover issues of CR and CSR.
Practical implications – The study results will be important to those transnational and local
corporations which want to successfully implement their CSR programs, to further propel their CR
among the citizens of Ukraine.
Originality/value – The paper is the first effort to analyze the media accounts of the implementation
of CR and CSR in the economic and social fabric of Ukraine, in the wake of the Orange Revolution.
Keywords Ukraine, Newspapers, Magazines, Print media, Corporate governance,
Corporate social responsibility, Corporate reputation
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Studies of corporate reputation (CR) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have
been well established in developed countries for decades. However, investigating how
these concepts find their way in the new social and economic realities of the former
Soviet Union might lead to intriguing and thought-provoking discoveries. The unique
history and development of the post-Soviet space creates an experimental setup for
unfolding the nature and genesis of CR and CSR in the countries where 75 years of
socialism have left ground zero for corporate theory and practice.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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IJOEM
7,2
132
Received 20 June 2010
Revised 16 December 2010,
7 March 2011
Accepted 8 April 2011
International Journal of Emerging
Markets
Vol. 7 No. 2, 2012
pp. 132-145
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1746-8809
DOI 10.1108/17468801211209910