Sensemaking and Sensegiving in CSR Communication and Social Media Management: a case study

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show how CSR Communication on Social Media is actually implemented and managed in business practice by a coffee company in Italy with a proved track record in CSR related activities. The paper aims to analyze whether this implementation in the firm is consistent or not to the path derived from the sensemaking and sensegiving framework as it has been proposed by Gioia and Chittipeddi (1991). Methodology: Consistent with the explorative aim of the study, this paper employs a case study approach with a particular focus on the content analysis of the communication on Social Media. Findings: From a theoretical perspective, the paper highlights that the sensemaking framework is a suitable tool to assess a firm’s practical effort in the area of CSR Communication. From a practitioner perspective, the application of the sensemaking and sensegiving framework may help in the identification of the main challenges and benefits related to CSR Communication. Originality: The paper ends by suggesting several reccomendation for the further CSR Communication implementation of the company analyzed and for business practice in general.