There is a large body of literature that examines different dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Africa, with many focusing on the false promises of these corporate initiatives. Contrary to simplistic claims of CSR being merely window-dressing, however, this paper reveals that although several rhetorical proclamations underpin the idea, such statements are often given instrumental meaning through diverse mechanisms (e.g., interpretation of cues toward the proactive (re)construction of identity, (inter)subjective discourses on social legitimacy, and acts of “issue selling”) that help to enact particular characteristics of the corporation. The paper specifically employs the organizational concepts of sensemaking and sensegiving to explain how, through CSR activities, hydrocarbon companies in Ghana construct and (re)affirm a particular reality for its stakeholders. The findings suggest that by having significant leverage over the (re)construction of its identity and claims around social legitimacy and performance, the corporation gives sense to and further sustains its authority over societal norms and expectations around what social responsibility entails. The evidence presented contributes to scholarship that considers the corporation as a complex nexus of multiple relations, contested narratives, and practices.

中文翻译：

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企业社会责任在碳氢化合物行业作为意义建构和意义的表现

有大量文献研究了非洲企业社会责任 (CSR) 的不同方面，其中许多都关注这些企业举措的虚假承诺。然而，与 CSR 仅仅是门面的简单主张相反，本文揭示了尽管有几个修辞声明支持这个想法，但这些声明通常通过不同的机制被赋予工具意义（例如，解释对主动（重新）构建身份、关于社会合法性的（间）主体话语以及“问题销售”行为），这些行为有助于制定公司的特定特征。本文特别运用意义建构和意义给予的组织概念来解释如何通过企业社会责任活动，加纳的碳氢化合物公司为其利益相关者构建和（重新）确认一个特定的现实。研究结果表明，通过对围绕社会合法性和绩效的身份和主张的（重新）构建具有重要影响，公司可以理解并进一步维持其对社会规范和社会责任所带来的期望的权威。所提供的证据有助于将公司视为多重关系、有争议的叙述和实践的复杂纽带。公司理解并进一步维持其对社会规范和期望的权威，围绕社会责任的含义。所提供的证据有助于将公司视为多重关系、有争议的叙述和实践的复杂纽带。公司理解并进一步维持其对社会规范和期望的权威，围绕社会责任的含义。所提供的证据有助于将公司视为多重关系、有争议的叙述和实践的复杂纽带。