미디어의 ESG 보도 증가에 따른 기업 담당자들의 ESG 커뮤니케이션 인식 연구: 근거이론을 중심으로

In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted on the perceptions of corporate managers about ESG communication as the media reporting on ESG increased, and the purpose of this study was to empirically examine this through grounded theory. As a result of the analysis, as the media reporting on ESG increased, corporate ESG managers were aware of the difficulties of communication, such as external communication and internal consensus on ESG activities. As a causal condition corresponding to the cause of this core phenomenon, respondents said the negative engagement of the media, such as competitively over-reporting on corporate ESG, or negatively affecting top management’s perception due to the media’s own awards ceremony and hasty ESG evaluation. As a contextual condition affecting the central phenomenon, there was confusion between CSR and ESG messages. Due to the action/interaction of these perceptions, corporate managers not only perceived negatively about ESG communication activities of their own or other companies, but also recognized the fear of being criticized for ESG washing. ESG messages with low receptivity due to too broad and difficult topics were identified as intervening conditions for these actions/interactions. As a result, corporate managers had the intention of passive ESG communication behaviors, such as avoiding exposure to external media. Through this study, it can be deduced that various research methodologies are needed to establish communication strategies for corporate ESG activities.