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Research Questions: “Which approach to CSR is the most effective in the Swedish fast food industry in terms of the external stakeholder perception of the company?”, “How does the approach to CSR affect external stakeholder perception of corporate legitimacy?”

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the societal perception of organizational legitimacy on CSR activities in corporations operating in the Swedish fast food industry, and to investigate the relationships between external stakeholder perception and different strategic CSR approaches.

Method: A quantitative research was conducted through the administration of a face-to-face survey with later online distribution. Coding was conducted on the CSR activities of the focus companies in order to categorize their approach to CSR. The primary data was later connected to the secondary data in the discussion to arrive at the conclusion.

Conclusion: It was found that it is the apparent appeasement of the external stakeholders that provides a positive outcome as the appropriate approach might not be sufficient in achieving its goals. The active approach was found to be the most effective CSR approach in terms of external stakeholder perception. This stands in contrast to the pro-/ interactive approach which should be deemed the best, overall approach to CSR.