Empowering communities through corporate social responsibility: The role of Zimbabwe Power Company’s Public Relations Department in Kariba
Keywords:
Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Relations, Strategic communication, Stakeholders Theory, Kariba Community.Abstract
This study investigates how the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) in Kariba employs corporate social responsibility (CSR) through its public relations (PR) department to engage with the Kariba community from 2020 to 2023. It assesses the effectiveness of ZPC’s CSR programmes in addressing local community needs and strengthening stakeholder relationships. This qualitative research, based on a constructivist philosophy and interpretivist research theory, employed interviews and focus group discussions to gather insights from community members and PR personnel. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the study reveals that ZPC’s CSR and PR initiatives foster dialogical communication that effectively addresses community concerns. The findings indicate that ZPC’s CSR efforts are generally responsive to local needs. The study recommends that ZPC adopts a more community-driven approach, allowing the community greater input in programme development to avoid the perception of imposed initiatives.
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