ID: 1894
Presenting Author: Nazanin Shaghaghi
Session: 527 - The importance of effective communication for Impact Assessments
Status: pending
This paper examines why CSR projects in Iran often fail, highlighting the role of effective communication and stakeholder engagement in credible impact assessment.
In recent years, Iranian corporations have substantially increased their investment in corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, often with the claimed objective of addressing social needs and generating positive impact. However, based on the authors’ direct involvement in several CSR initiatives—both from the NGO implementation side and the sponsoring corporate side—it has been observed that these efforts often fall short of achieving meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
Therefore, this paper investigates the possible causes and communicative barriers that may be contributing to the persisting gap between intent and impact in CSR interventions, including:
(1) Poorly defined or misaligned project goals;(2) Inadequate needs assessments; (3) Lack of proper understanding of impact assessment among stakeholders; and
(4) Limited stakeholder engagement—particularly insufficient involvement of direct beneficiaries.
Beyond these immediate causes, the root causes of inefficiencies in Iran’s CSR projects lie in the state-driven economic structure, where lack of transparent market mechanisms and widespread misinformation undermine socially legitimate decision-making. This context weakens the design, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives. With minimal public or institutional pressure for accountability, and poor communication, impact assessments are rarely conducted or acted upon, leaving projects largely symbolic. By examining selected case studies, this paper illustrates how weak communication and limited stakeholder understanding erode social legitimacy and reduce
Nazanin has 10+ years’ experience leading impact-driven CSR initiatives, advising organizations and NGOs, and promoting social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and sustainable development.
Coauthor 1: Shamim Yarahmadi