CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

Abstract

The article analyzes the content and consequences of business decisions in the conditions of Russian aggression, which can be interpreted as a component of the corporate social responsibility policy. Russian-Ukrainian war evokes three dimensions of business reaction: leaving the Russian Federation territory; economic and social initiatives in Ukraine; changes in global policy of social responsibility. The study revealed various strategies of business behavior in the Russian market ("exit", "suspension", "reduction", "waiting", "ignoring"), caused by internal and external factors. However, proactive decisions of the corporate sector anticipate and exceed legal restrictions, which can significantly increase the impact of sanctions and cause a long recession of the Russian economy. They are often complemented by typical forms of corporate support for Ukraine's economy, its social sphere, refugee support programs etc. Based on the materials of the bp Corp. and Kingspam Group, examples of successful integration the social responsibility projects with existing sustainable development strategy are highlighted. It was determined that there can be effective means of influencing business to ensure its social responsibility and ethics: an appeal to the moral and ethical beliefs of managers and shareholders, justification of rational reasons for exit, boycott of goods and services of enterprises that do business in the Russian Federation, public protests and pickets, government awards and honors for companies that have left the Russian market. The results of corporate messages’ analysis also show the change in priorities of the Ukrainian companies social responsibility policy in favor of relocation and ensuring the safety of employees, hiring displaced persons, early tax payment, humanitarian aid, army support, reconstruction of destroyed settlements etc. It is appropriate to move from sporadic philanthropic projects to the integration of social initiatives with the investment, personnel and operational strategy of companies; to involve stakeholders and public-private partnerships in support of Ukraine, to use corporate communication channels to promote successful social projects.