Beyond the Inform Button: A Multi-Method Analysis of CSR Communication Strategies in Nigeria's Most Reputable Banks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jcomm.3946Keywords:
CSR Communication Strategies, Nigerian Banks, Reputation, Stakeholder Engagement, Legitimacy TheoryAbstract
Purpose: This study investigates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategies of Nigeria’s most reputable banks. It examines the prevalence of different strategies and the organisational factors shaping their selection.
Methodology: The study adopts a multi-method design to analyse how and why leading Nigerian banks disseminate CSR information. Data were generated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with elite key informants, the heads of corporate communications of the banks. These were complemented by a rigorous qualitative content analysis of the banks’ annual reports (2024 to 2025) and Facebook CSR communications (2024 to 2025). The integration of these data sources provides a holistic understanding of the banks' strategic CSR communication practices.
Findings: The findings reveal that while Nigeria’s most reputable banks employ both informing and engaging CSR communication strategies, the informing approach predominates, with engagement remaining limited. The results further indicate that strategy selection is primarily driven by reputation management objectives, although CSR communication is viewed as a strategic communication function that serves multiple organisational goals. However, the adoption of the more dialogic, engaging strategy is significantly constrained by internal cultural conservatism and budgetary constraints, leading the banks to exhibit strategic dialogic restraint.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study extends CSR communication scholarship by providing a multi-method examination of CSR communication strategy in the underexplored African banking context. It enriches stakeholder and legitimacy theories by demonstrating that organisational considerations such as reputation management priorities, internal culture, and resource limitations mediate the translation of theoretical ideals into practice. For communication practitioners, the findings provide evidence-based guidance for developing more balanced CSR communication programmes that move beyond the “inform button” of predominantly one-way information dissemination toward greater stakeholder engagement.
Downloads
References
Abimbola, O. (2024, November 4). 10 banks realise N4.2tn profit amid high interest rates.
Punch. https://punchng.com/10-banks-realise-n4-2tn-profit-amid-high-interest-rate/
Ajayi, O. A. & Mmutle, T. (2021). Corporate reputation through strategic communication of
corporate social responsibility. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 26(5), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-02-2020-0047
Arise News (2024, April 10). Despite economic challenges, Zenith, Access, UBA, GTCO, two
others generated N3.11tn profit in 2023. ARISE News TV. https://www.arise.tv/despite-economic-challenges-zenith-access-uba-gtco-two-others-generated-n3-11tn-profit-in-2023/
Ashforth, B. E., & Gibbs, B. W. (1990). The double-edge of organizational
legitimation. Organisation Science, 1(2), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1.2.177
Chaudhri, V. (2016). Corporate social responsibility and the communication imperative:
Perspectives from CSR managers. International Journal of Business Communication, 53(4), 419-442. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884145254
Cho, M., Furey, L. D., & Mohr, T. (2017). Communicating corporate social responsibility on
social media: Strategies, stakeholders, and public engagement on corporate Facebook. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 80(1), 52-69. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329490616663708
Coombs, W. T. (2007). Crisis management and communications. Institute for public
relations, 4(5), 6. https://instituteforpr.org/crisis-management-and-communications/
Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2012). Managing corporate social responsibility: A
communication approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Crane, A., & Glozer, S. (2016). Researching corporate social responsibility communication:
Themes, opportunities and challenges. Journal of Management Studies, 53(7), 1223-1252.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12196
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
Dardis, F. E., Haigh, M. M., Overton, H., & Bailey, E. (2025). Optimizing brand perceptions by
aligning corporate communication strategy with message framing strategy in CSR messages. Journal of Promotion Management, 31(4), 620-652. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2025.2484713
Deegan, C. (2002). Introduction: The legitimising effect of social and environmental disclosures
– a theoretical foundation. Accounting, auditing & accountability journal, 15(3), 282-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570210435852
Deegan, C. (2018). Legitimacy theory. In Z. Hoque (Ed.). Methodological issues in accounting
research: Theories and methods (2nd ed., pp. 204-224). Spiramus Press Ltd.
Devin, B. L., & Lane, A. B. (2014). Communicating engagement in corporate social
responsibility: A meta-level construal of engagement. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(5), 436-454. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2014.956104
Dexter, L. A. (2014). Elite and specialized interviewing. ECPR Press.
Donaldson, T., & Preston, L. E. (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts,
evidence, and implications. Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 65-91. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9503271992
Dong, H., Zhao, P., & Ngai, C. S. B. (2025). Engaging social media users with corporate social
responsibility messages: An integrated theoretical approach in the automotive industry during social media era. PLOS ONE, 20(6), e0322481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322481
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social
responsibility (CSR): The role of CSR communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00276.x
Eriqat, I. O., Tahir, M., & Zulkafli, A. H. (2024). The impact of corporate social responsibility
disclosure on corporate reputation: The moderating role of national culture in financial industries of MENA region. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2391120
Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University
Press.
Garba, C. O. (2026). The impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate reputation
and organizational performance in Nigerian banks. International Journal of Applied Review, 2(1), 247-256.
Gioia, D. A., & Chittipeddi, K. (1991). Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change
initiation. Strategic Management Journal, 12(6), 433-448. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250120604
Herzog, C., & Ali, C. (2015). Elite interviewing in media and communications policy
research. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 11(1), 37-54.
https://doi.org/10.1386/macp.11.1.37_1
Ibemere, D. (2024, August 11). List of five largest commercial banks in Nigeria by assets in
2024. Legit.ng. https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/money/1607352-access-top-spot-list-top-10-largest-banks-nigeria-2024/
Jiang, H., & Luo, Y. (2020). Driving employee engagement through CSR communication and
employee perceived motives: The role of CSR-related social media engagement and job engagement. International Journal of Business Communication, 61(2), 287-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488420960528
Johnson, Z. S., Mao, H., Lefebvre, S., & Ganesh, J. (2019). Good guys can finish first: How
brand reputation affects extension evaluations. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29(4), 565-583. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1109
Kargbo, U., Terrence, B., & Palmer, T. B. (2025). Redefining corporate social responsibility:
The role of strategic communication practices. Sustainability, 17(9), 4226. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094226
Kim, S., & Ferguson, M. A. T. (2018). Dimensions of effective CSR communication based on
public expectations. Journal of Marketing Communications, 24(6), 549-567. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2015.1118143
Kim, S. (2019). The process model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication:
CSR communication and its relationship with consumers’ CSR knowledge, trust, and corporate reputation perception. Journal of Business Ethics, 154, 1143–1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3433-6
Koch, T., Denner, N., & Dieguez Laukamp, M. (2025). Less can be more. How the
communication of minor CSR activities undermines the effectiveness of a major CSR initiative. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2025.2517062
Lauritsen, B. D., & Perks, K. J. (2015). The influence of interactive, non-interactive, implicit and
explicit CSR communication on young adults’ perception of UK supermarkets’ corporate brand image and reputation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(2), 178-195. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-09-2013-0065
Lim, J. S., & Greenwood, C. A. (2017). Communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR):
Stakeholder responsiveness and engagement strategy to achieve CSR goals. Public Relations Review, 43(4), 768-776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.06.007
Lindblom, C. K. (1994). The implications of organizational legitimacy for corporate social
performance and disclosure. In Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference, New York, 1994.
Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (2013). Proposals that work: A guide for
planning dissertations and grant proposals (6th ed.). SAGE.
Minney, T. (2024, September 25). Africa’s top 100 banks 2024: Nigeria tops West and Central
Africa. African Business. https://african.business/2024/09/finance-services/africas-top-100-banks-2024-nigeria-tops-west-and-central-africa
Morsing, M. (2006). Corporate social responsibility as strategic auto-communication: On the role
of external stakeholders for member identification. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(2), 171-182.
Morsing, M., & Schultz, M. (2006). Corporate social responsibility communication: Stakeholder
information, response and involvement strategies. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(4), 323-338. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2006.00460.x
Moses, P. (2025, October 9). N68bn National Arts Theatre will boost $1trillion economy –
stakeholders. Daily Trust. https://dailytrust.com/n68bn-national-arts-theatre-will-boost-1trillion-economy-stakeholders/
Nairametrics (2021, May 15). UBA, MTN, others top list of CSR donations in 2020.
Nairametrics. https://nairametrics.com/2021/05/15/uba-mtn-others-top-list-of-csr-donations-in-2020/
Nairametrics (2022, September 19). Largest banks in Nigeria by total assets as of H1 2022.
Nairametrics. https://nairametrics.com/2022/09/19/largest-banks-in-nigeria-by-total-assets-as-of-h1-2022/
Okamgba, J. (2025, March 31). Five banks rake in N3.3tn profit despite harsh economy. Punch.
https://punchng.com/five-banks-rake-in-n3-3tn-profit-despite-harsh-economy/
Okazaki, S., Plangger, K., West, D., & Menéndez, H. D. (2020). Exploring digital corporate
social responsibility communications on Twitter. Journal of Business Research, 117, 675-682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.006
Riahi, R., Chibani, F., & Omri, A. (2024). How important is CSR commitment in shaping
Corporate reputation? International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 9(4), 1. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9503255
Roy, T. K., & Quazi, A. (2022). How and why do MNCs communicate their corporate social
responsibility in developing countries? Evidence from Bangladesh. Competition & Change, 26(3-4), 384-406. https://doi.org/10.1177/10245294211003275
Salako, T. (2022, October 17). Banks downsizing amid double-digit growth. The Nation.
https://thenationonlineng.net/banks-downsizing-amid-double-digit-growth/
Shen, C. H., Wu, M. W., Chen, T. H., & Fang, H. (2016). To engage or not to engage in
corporate social responsibility: Empirical evidence from global banking sector. Economic Modelling, 55, 207-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2016.02.007
Subedi, G., Pokhrel, L., & Basnet, D. (2024). Corporate social responsibility and customer
loyalty: mediating role of corporate reputation among Generation Z customers of Nepali commercial banks. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 32(8), 1501-1521. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-03-2023-3701
Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy
of Management Review, 20(3), 571-610. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080331
Udunze, B. (2025, August 31). Paradox of profitability: Nigeria’s banks, bogus earnings, and
recapitalisation dilemma. Invest Advocate. https://investadvocateng.com/2025/09/01/paradox-of-profitability-nigerias-banks-bogus-earnings-and-recapitalisation-dilemma/
Umogun, M. (2023, February 14). How bankers are under-developing the national economy.
Business Day. https://businessday.ng/news/article/how-bankers-are-under-developing-the-national-economy/
Zhang, H. (2025). The matching of CSR communication strategies and CSR models: A content
analysis based on Weibo. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences, 164(1), 67-72. DOI: 10.54254/2754-1169/2025.20729
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Uchenna Stephen Ogbonna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
