ABSTRACT FOR MY FIRST PAPER ON CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BY ECONET AND NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE (NRZ).

This research focuses on the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by PR departments at Econet and NRZ. Econet and NRZ are the two corporations that operate in Zimbabwe but with different focus of business and areas of specialisation. As part of excellent PR practices CSR/CSI is modern PR that mutual benefit both the corporations and the community they serve as proposed by Grunig (2001). Hence in the study the research will outline and assess CSR programs offered by Econet and NRZ to benefit the surrounding communities as part of excellent PR. However, a comparative assessment approach between Econet and NRZ PR departments will be used. Albeit the fact that the study used both qualitative and quantitative methods of information gathering, largely qualitative methods were used in this study. Face-to face interviews and questionnaires interviews and document analysis inter alia were used. The most important thing about these two corporations is that they have international recognition and strong PR departments that are part of the management. Econet is one of the largest telecommunication company in Zimbabwe that is currently operating in seven countries, while NRZ is a parastatel that specialises in rail-road transport. In addition, while Eonet is a privately owned company on the other hand, NRZ is a parastatel. It is therefore important to assess the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ, despite the nature and background of the two corporate organisation in Zimbabwe. Also to be noted and assessed is whether the PR departments are in charge in initiating and implementing the public centred CSR programmes. Furthermore, several theories from public relations and communications discipline such as the 3C-SR Model, corporate philanthropy, corporate charity or altruism, two way symmetrical, agenda setting , open system model of PR, public opinion and many others will be used in assessing the application of CSR by Econet and NRZ.