Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 11-27-2011 The nflueI nce of Strategies Used to Communicate Sustainable Corporate Responsibility on Reputation of a Major Airport Benno D. Hoffmann Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Advertising and Promotion Management Commons, Environmental Sciences Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Marketing Commons, and the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Benno Hoffmann has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Godwin Igein, Committee Chairperson, Applied Management and Decision Sciences Faculty Dr. Mary Dereshiwsky, Committee Member, Applied Management and Decision Sciences Faculty Dr. Robert Parent, University Reviewer Applied Management and Decision Sciences Faculty Chief Academic Officer David Clinefelter, Ph.D. Walden University 2011 Abstract The Influence of Strategies Used to Communicate Sustainable Corporate Responsibility on Reputation of a Major Airport by Benno Hoffmann Second (Major) State Juridical Examination Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht) Hamburg, Germany 1973 First State Juridical Examination Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht) Hamburg, Germany 1968 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University November 2011 Abstract Self-presentation of a corporation as a citizen committed to sustainable corporate responsibility can, according to scholarly findings, help the organization improve its reputation among key stakeholders. The purpose of this case study was to explore the success of one major airport in aligning communication strategies to improve its reputation. The research question involved how effectively a major German airport communicated its commitment to sustainable corporate responsibility to its key stakeholders during 2005-2009. Of particular interest was how key stakeholders perceived the airport’s stance towards the impacts of aircraft noise. Corporate documents, newspaper articles, and semistructured interviews comprised the data. Data analyses of documents and interviews included coding segments of texts on key words related to sustainable corporate responsibility. Pattern matching helped aggregate coded text segments into respective coherent and consistent corporate messages. Randomly selected newspaper articles on the airport under scrutiny were coded on a Likert-type scale on how favorably they covered what types of themes. Subsequent qualitative analyses of hand notes fabricated during the coding process revealed how positively journalists wrote about specific events. Results indicated that the airport officials effectively communicated to the airport’s key stakeholders regarding economic contributions to public welfare, engagements in neighborhood projects, environmental protection, and noise abatement. Implications for positive social change include the potential for dialogues between the airport and its critical stakeholders that could, in turn, further the long-term friendly coexistence of the airport, its neighbors, and the community. The Influence of Strategies Used to Communicate Sustainable Corporate Responsibility on Reputation of a Major Airport by Benno Hoffmann Second (Major) State Juridical Examination Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht) Hamburg, Germany 1973 First State Juridical Examination Hanseatic Higher Regional Court (Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht) Hamburg, Germany 1968 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University November 2011 UMI Number: 3479156 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3479156 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 Dedication I dedicate this product of years of persistent research work to Lilo, Kurt, Maja, Angelika, Uwe, Günter, and Dagmar. Lilo and Kurt, my parents, encouraged me, even in hard times, to accomplish my academic education. Thanks to their motivational efforts, I became a lawyer. They had passed away, before I started my doctoral journey at Walden University, both after a fulfilled life. My sister Maja and my brothers Uwe und Günter left us much too early. I would have liked to celebrate the achievement of my doctoral graduation together with them. Acknowledgments I am thankful to many friends, colleague, and fellow students who encouraged me to accomplish my doctoral journey. Furthermore, I thank Walden University’s faculty and staff, particularly, the members of my dissertational committee, Dr. Mary Dereshiwsky and Dr. Godwin Igein, as well as Dr. Robert Parent who showed much patience with me. Into these thanks, I include Dr. Kevin Schwandt, the Walden editor who helped me give the text a last polish. Furthermore, I am grateful to my former boss, Werner Hauschild, CEO of Hamburg Airport from 1994 through 2005, who supported my lifelong learning experiment at Walden University. Moreover, I thank Michael Eggenschwiler, my last boss at Hamburg Airport, for the support of this study. In addition, I thank Professor Guenther Ortmann for his friendliness of reviewing my study for potential bias. Finally, I thank all Hamburg Airport executives and seven external individuals who gave me the opportunity and honor to conduct interviews with them. I would not have experienced the fruitful dissertational endeavor if not for Phil Roberts who introduced me to the exciting academic world of the United States. Table of Contents List of Tables...........................................................................................................................vi List of Figures.........................................................................................................................vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.......................................................................................1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................4 Background of the Problem...............................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study..........................................................................................................8 Theoretical and Conceptual Support for the Study..........................................................9 Research Questions..........................................................................................................12 Research Design...............................................................................................................13 Definitions of Terms........................................................................................................14 Assumptions.....................................................................................................................18 Scope, Delimitations, and Limitations ...........................................................................19 Significance and Social Impact of the Study .................................................................21 Summary and Transition .................................................................................................22 Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................................24 Overview ..........................................................................................................................24 Major Airports’ Roles and Functions .............................................................................24 Legislation and Jurisdiction in Germany and the United States ...................................25 Reinforcement of the Precautionary Principle ...............................................................26 How Major Airports Communicate Awareness to Sustainability.................................27 i Real World Specificities of the Social Setting...............................................................28 Typology of Stakeholders at Major Airports...........................................................28 Stakeholder Interests