Blasius Ngome urges Telecom companies to communicate on CSR!
• Advocates enactment of legislation on CSR Practice by Corporations
• Urges Newspapers to Design Public Relations and Communication Strategies for a win-win relation
By Sheron Tita
Blasius Ngome, Lecturer of Corporate Communication, University of Buea, Former Director of Public Relations, Communication and Translation in SONARA, has called on Telecommunication Companies ( MTN, Orange and CAMTEL) to communicate corporate social responsibility related activities on their websites and newspapers.
The recommendation came following findings on Telecom companies’ communication on CRS activities in Newspapers. Through the monitoring of 20880 newspapers, the research carried out by Blasius Ngome on “Communication of Corporate Social Responsibility by Mobile Telephone
Companies in Cameroon and outcomes” for the award of PhD in Corporate Communication revealed that only 38 CSR articles were published by 21 newspapers (CAMTEL 13, MTNC 10, and ORANGE 9).
The PhD defence panel of jury which comprised of Pr. Mpoche Kisitus, University of Douala; Pr. Madiba Oloko Georges, University of Douala; Prof Che Tita, University of Buea; Pr. Atenga Thomas, University of Douala ( Supervisor); and Pr. Edjua Andrew, University of Buea ( Co- Supervisor) was aimed at evaluating the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility by Telecom
companies based in Cameroon, assessing the communication of CSR activities in newspapers and websites, and asserting image, reputation, value creation and stakeholders engagement based exclusively on communication of CSR in newspapers.
Blasius Ngome, for the choice of a current topic, well researched using adequate theoretical frame work, and credited with very interactive defense session which held the members of the jury spellbound, was awarded the grade “Tres honorable” for a score of 17/20.
After emerging with a good grade, Blasius Ngome emphasized that he was motivated by curbing societal problems; reason for the choice of the topic while recommending the practice of mixed communication. He thus explains:
“Identify societal problems and try to solve them by doing research. The one I discovered is that mobile telephone companies might not be communicating
sufficiently in the newspapers and their websites. Websites are known to be the window through the world so these companies are supposed to design comprehensive websites. They are supposed to communicate not only on Tv, social media, radio but on news papers that tend to be neglected. They are supposed to do what is called mixed communication in order to be able to
reach all their stakeholders and that is when they will be able to design policies that will help them make more money, have a better image, and a better reputation”.
Pr. Mpoche Kistus, who chaired the defence, said he was impressed with the research carried out by Blasius Ngome. In this light he applauded the initiative, noting: “ Blasius Ngome has done significantly well on issues of corporate social responsibility talking about telephone networks like Camtel, Mtn, and Orange. The issue of corporate social responsibility most of the time is neglected but he has been able to collect data from their websites, newspapers, interview stakeholders; analyse these data and come out with significant findings that policy makers can exploit in order to encourage
and promote the use of these telephone networks adequately in terms of stakeholders. Not only on the part of the given stakeholders, more often from the part of the recipient stakeholders on issues of Social Corporate responsibility rely more on the person that may have the power but may not have the policy”.
Equally through the research, Blasius Ngome recommends that the Government should enact legislation for the practice of CSR by corporations; mobile telephone companies should use corporate websites to communicate with stakeholders; the national communication council should create a data base; stakeholders should put pressure on mobile telephone companies to improve CSR and CSR communication; and researchers should explore mixed communication avenues.
The research was carried out through the qualitative research approach and qualitative content analysis in areas such as Yaounde, Douala, Ngaoundere, Buea, Limbe, Bamenda, representing the headquarters of selected newspaper publishers.
