| Summary: | The current dissertation adopts the recently developed communication view on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which frames the exploration of legitimacy construction of the pharmaceutical industry in the network society. In line with this view, polyphony of CSR and communicative dynamics within social media networks are necessary for the legitimation process (Schultz et al., 2013; Castelló et al., 2013).
These two elements were studied through the content analysis of corporate websites, blogs specialised on pharmaceutical industry and CSR issues, and corporate social media networks (Corporate Facebook and Twitter accounts) in a sample of six pharmaceutical companies. The analysis reveals and illustrates how CSR becomes a forum of debate around business role in society by comparing the definition of the corporate social responsibilities of the pharmaceutical industry according to the Corporation Voice and the Society Voice.
This research highlights the need for business generally, and pharmaceutical companies particularly, to appreciate and react to dissent voices, and to promote and participate in the debate around CSR, which would contribute to the construction of communicative legitimacy in the network society.
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