CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: EVIDENCE FROM CROATIA.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the need to change and quickly adjust the company's business strategies to the needs of its stakeholders in order to strengthen mutual trust and develop resilience to the new situation. In such circumstances, the application of corporate social responsibility (CSR) becomes inevitable, but also socially expected. The aim of this paper is to identify CSR activities carried out by the 10 best companies in the Republic of Croatia in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The content analysis method analyzes the websites of these companies in relation to CSR during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the socially responsible activities are categorized according to the three most important stakeholders for the company: employees, customers and the community. The results of the research determine the equal representation of CSR activities towards all observed stakeholders and the importance of coordination between external (customers and communities) and internal (employees) CSR activities during Covid-19 in order for companies to maintain their competitiveness and relationship with stakeholders. The paper provides practical implications for the effective management and implementation of CSR activities in the period of pandemics and other crisis situations, but it is also possible to maintain certain additional activities after the cessation of these circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]