Assessing The Relationship Between Strategic CSR Communication And Customer Trust Building Within Ghana’s Bottled Water And Beverage Sub-Sector

Abstract

This study examines how strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication influences stakeholder trust and perceptions of corporate accountability within Ghana’s bottled water and beverage sub-sector. The study focuses on how CSR messages are framed by public relations practitioners and how stakeholders evaluate credibility and authenticity. Guided by Framing Theory and Source Credibility Theory, the study adopts a quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire administered to consumers, employees, distributors, community members, and advocacy actors. A total of 250 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, reliability testing, and multiple regression. The findings show that CSR communication in the sector is primarily framed around community development, moral duty, environmental responsibility, and emotional appeal, with limited emphasis on shared value creation. Stakeholders generally perceived CSR communication as credible and sincere, particularly in relation to communicator professionalism and goodwill, although transparency and external verification were less robust. Regression results revealed that CSR communication significantly influenced stakeholder trust and corporate accountability, with credibility emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by authenticity and message framing. The study concludes that CSR communication functions as a strategic determinant of corporate reputation rather than a routine reporting practice.