CSR and its implementation at Plzeňský Prazdroj

This bachelor thesis examines the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the alcohol industry as a socially sensitive sector. The main objective of this thesis was to determine whether a company focused on the production of alcoholic beverages can be socially responsible, or whether this is a paradox given the nature of its business. As part of this objective, the approach to CSR of a specific Czech brewing company, Plzeňský Prazdroj, was analyzed. The theoretical part of the thesis defines the concept of CSR, the development of corporate social responsibility in the Czech Republic, and further examines CSR in socially sensitive sectors. It then presents the joint-stock company Plzeňský Prazdroj and its approach to social responsibility, including its CSR activities. The practical part includes qualitative research, within which a comparative analysis of the approaches to social responsibility of Plzeňský Prazdroj and the Danish brewery Carlsberg Group is conducted. This analysis highlights that the differences between the individual approaches are primarily due to varying geographic scopes of operation and methods of reporting CSR activities. The practical section also includes quantitative research in the form of a questionnaire survey, which examines consumers’ perception and awareness of CSR among alcohol producers in general and Plzeňský Prazdroj specifically. The results show that even companies operating in the alcohol industry can be perceived as socially responsible. On the other hand, consumer awareness of Plzeňský Prazdroj’s CSR activities is rather low, primarily due to insufficient communication of these activities. Based on these findings, recommendations were made aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Czech brewery’s CSR communication.