Public Relations' (PR) Role in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): An Examination from a Malaysian Perspective

Abstract

This study's primary goals are to examine how public relations (PR) now contributes to corporate social 
responsibility (CSR) initiatives and to examine how CSR is currently implemented in Malaysia. Numerous 
studies have been conducted on PR and CSR, as well as their effects on business (see, for example, Cannon, 
1992; Gray et al., 1995; Woodward et al., 1996; Johnson & Johnson, 2000; Volkswagen AG, 2000; Doane, 
2002; Abdul Rashid and Ibrahim, 2002; Van der Laan, 2004; Orlizty et al., 2004; Kotler and Lee, 2005; and 
Argenti, 2007). "Social responsibility of business, which encompasses the economic, legal, ethical, and 
discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point of time," is the primary goal of 
the application of PR and CSR (Carroll, 1979). Concerns for society, communities, the environment, 
workers, and ethics are all included in the PR and CSR concepts. In Malaysia, the government, publicly 
traded firms, and private businesses all paid close attention to corporate social responsibility. The Malaysia 
Institute of Integrity (IIM), the Institute of Corporate Social Responsibility Malaysia (ICRM), Sahabat Alam 
Malaysia, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association, and the Consumers Association of Penang 
are just a few examples of the governmental and non-governmental efforts to raise awareness and offer 
initiatives to public listed and private companies to align their business objectives with CSR concerns.