CSR Storytelling as a Legitimation Strategy: A Case Study of PT Vale Indonesia Tbk's Sustainable Development Narratives in Morowali, Central Sulawesi

Abstract

This study examines how storytelling functions as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategy for building organizational legitimacy in the context of resource extraction. While CSR communication and legitimacy theory have been extensively examined in Western corporate settings, comparatively little research has addressed how storytelling operates as a legitimation strategy within Indonesia's extractive industry. Focusing on PT Vale Indonesia Tbk's nickel mining operations in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, this study is grounded in legitimacy theory (Suchman, 1995; Deegan, 2002) and narrative transportation theory (Green & Brock, 2000). A qualitative case study design was used to analyze sustainability reports (939-950), official digital publications, and CSR-related media content, following Braun and Clarke's (2021) six-phase reflexive thematic analysis. The findings show that the company's storytelling follows a recurring three-act structure, initial condition, intervention, and outcome, organized around three thematic pillars: economic empowerment, environmental preservation, and social welfare. Local community members are consistently positioned as narrative protagonists, which strengthens perceived authenticity and audience identification, while digital platforms extend the reach and interactivity of the narratives. The study concludes that CSR storytelling functions not merely as a promotional device but as a discursive legitimation strategy that complements, and at times substitutes for, formal social license to operate mechanisms. The study contributes a context-specific account of CSR storytelling in Indonesia's mining sector and offers practical implications for corporate communication practitioners in extractive industries