PUBLIC RELATIONS : ITS VITAL ROLE IN CSR

Abstract

Public relations plays an important part in a company's

corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and

programs, but this ·role is often misunderstood by both

corporate executives and the public.

One common misunderstanding is that the issues of

pollution, global warming, and environmental sustainability

are just "PR problems." This attitude is reinforced by

executives such as Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, who

dismissed two environmentalist-sponsored stockholder

resolutions at the company's annual meeting as just a "PR

problem " The ''problem, " as he saw it, was a Greenpeace

report ranking Apple last among 14 major manufacturers

for its lack of progress with e-cycling and eliminating

toxic chemicals from its manufacturing process.