Voluntariado empresarial e a empresa

: estudo do caso Unicer

Abstract

Today, corporate volunteering is an increasingly important component of companies’ corporate social responsibility as well as a significant factor in their stakeholder communication strategies. This study aimed to determine the ways in which corporate volunteering is perceived and understood by companies and their employees, and what types of actions are practical vis-à-vis the community. The study also sought to analyze the motivations and benefits of corporate volunteering actions from the points of view of the companies, their employees and the communities, and to determine their implications in the companies’ strategic and competitive evolution in terms of communication and human resources management and skill development. A case study centered on the company UNICER was carried out. Data was collected through an online questionnaire aimed at members of one of the company’s volunteer groups and through two interviews: one, of UNICER’s Corporate Responsibility and External Communication Manager; the other, of GRACE (Grupo de Reflexão e Apoio à Cidadania Empresarial – a non-profit corporate citizenship think tank). The results point to the conclusion that corporate volunteering consisting in social solidarity practices can be an important people, communication and competitive differentiation management tool for companies.

Date of Award	23 Apr 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor)