The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Media on the Strategy Formulation Process

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper entitled "The influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social media on the strategy formulation process" focuses on the issue of how the social media might become an inclusive tool, because of the duplex communication techniques that enhance it, and how the corporate social responsibility is complementary to building a robust strategic planning process. The paper tackles a timely and interesting topic and is written in plausible English. However, there are some very strange things about this paper - it promises the analysis and the case studies but it all comes down to an array of some personal comments and suggestions. The paper lacks any empirical models and tools.

1) In the Introduction, it would be useful to explain the main goals and objectives of the paper and to outline its structure.

2) Section 2 should be better presented as a literature review. Some comprehensive tables might be needed to better presenting the comparisons. 

3) In Section 3, the methodology is outlined but what "telecommunication company" was used for a case study? How was it selected, why this company? Can the readers learn more about it? What about this sentence "My role as Head of Strategic Planning for the strategic business unit situated me in complete participant observation role"? Who was the HSP?

4) Section 4 (entitled "Results") does not provide any results at all but merely retells the definitions of role in a business company. What about the case study? What happened to the data and results?

5) Section 5 is out of place. What are the grounds for these implications? Shouldn't the implications be in the Conclusions section? 

6) The Conclusions is too short and unclear. It does not reveal anything about the main results and outcomes of the research (there are no results, to be correct). 

Overall, this is a very weak paper that is written and presented in a very strange way. I regret to inform the authors that I cannot recommend this paper for publication in the state it is now.

Author Response

All the changes suggested are attempted  and are highlighted in red in the revised submission.

Introduction - amended page 2.

Section 2 - amended pages 2-4 

Section 3  - amended page 6

Section 4 - amended - page 6

Section 5 - amended - page 8

Conclusion - extended - page 10

Reviewer 2 Report

The presented text promised in his introduction an interesting and highly topical study for a period of postcovid crisis. As the title of the article says, it is the impact of CSR and social media in the process of formulating corporate strategy. In my view, this objective has not been fully and completely filled. In the methodology the authors have used the case study which would certainly deserve a more detailed explanation and description. Also, the use of social media for formulating a corporate strategy could be worked out in more details including consideration of fundamental communication goals etc. Their use is described in general terms as the source of data and  I found lack of more or less promised added value. I think that minor adjustments and finalization of the text in more detailed conclusions regarding the mentioned areas (social media, methods, data acquisition through social media, the main communication objectives whose fulfillment could allow to obtain the correct data for strategy formulation, detailed description of the methodology in the form of a case study), can increase the quality of the text, and may then be published.

Author Response

The areas identified in your feedback is addressed and highlighted in red.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Authors, I read your paper with interest. However, I found a number of limitations that do not allow me to suggest the acceptance of the essay as it is. In particular, a thorough revision of the paper is required as follows:

• the objective of the research described in the introduction must be accurately related to the methodological section and to the results indicated in the conclusions;
• the literature examined is incomplete and the citations are dated and scarce;
• the case study should be written again because it is unclear and incomplete.

Author Response

The objective of the paper states that the current situation i.e. the pandemic requires a new way of working and this includes strategic planning. The approach to strategic planning is the orthodox approach and the paper states that it needs updating using CSR and social media concepts.

The literature review includes sources from 2020, 2017. Conceptual ideas are going to be based on old sources.

There is sufficient explanation of the methodology it states that it is qualitative research and consequently the implied paradigm is interpretivism.

The results are a reflection of the strategic planning process. I do not understand what data is required it is perspective of the strategic planning process.

The implications link to the objectives, which is how CSR and social media could improve an orthodox strategic planning process. 

The conclusion relates to the implications and the implications link to the results.

Reviewer 4 Report

1.The present paper aims to show that social media is an inclusive tool and CSR is complementary to building a robust strategic planning process using qualitative case study. The results demonstrate Social media is the integrator of resources and CSR helps to build relationships, acting as a reinforcer of trust.

2.In marketing we always talk about environment scanning using STEP, which are society, technology, environment and politics; maybe this also applied to strategic forming. 

3.Sec 4.3 listed limitations and criticism of the strategic planning process, which appear to be critical limitations of the present study.

4.line 265, 'Although the organisation...used an embryonic CSR practice, it did not link these to the strategic planning process', why choose a corporate that used embryonic CSR practice for the study, and how come it did not link these to the strategic planning process?

5.line 269 stated that 'there was a lack of triangulation of the data... ' Triangulation is a critical step required to establish the validity of a qualitative study; line 270, "Margin error we not looked for and this had an impact on the reliability of the data and information,..." Does this mean that the reliability of the data are questionable?

6. line 272, 'It was doubtful whether the content of the strategic plan was applied and deployed', does this mean that there is a void of practical contribution from the study result? 

Author Response

The changes made in red will include changes to the following:

introduction - page 2

Literature review - developed further -pages 2, 3 & 4.

Methodology - pages 5 -6.

Results - pages 6 - 8

Conclusion - extended - pages 8 - 10. 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper was modified and revised but many issues were not tackled by the authors. The paper still needs some extensive revisions and major corrections. There is no empirical model and the results are presented in a strange way. All my previous comments should be taken on board and carefully dealt with one by one.

Another strange issue is that even though the paper has three co-authors, sentences like that appear: "From my perspective as a complete participant observer,it was doubtful whether the content of the strategic plan was applied and deployed". Why are those passages in the paper written in the first person? This should be carefully explained.

All in all, the paper still needs major revisions.

Reviewer 4 Report

_{This is more a technical report than an academic research paper.}

_{Not sure if this fits the readership of the journal.}

_{With an obscured claimed data processing process, it is impossible for decision making.}