Signaling cognitive and moral legitimacy by a voluntary environmental program: Navigating the diffusion-impact paradox

Organizations implementing voluntary environmental programs need legitimacy tied to both diffusion and impact to realize their aims. However, in balancing the associated cognitive and moral legitimacy, organizations face what has been labeled as a ‘diffusion-impact paradox’. Despite the recognized importance of public relations in building legitimacy, limited attention has been given to how public relations can explicitly help organizations gain legitimacy, as well as how public relations might be used with respect to the ‘diffusion-impact paradox’. This study addresses this gap by examining how public relations can signal legitimacy within the context of a multi-stakeholder voluntary environmental program aimed at reducing food waste, in alignment with SDG 12.3. Through a qualitative analysis of public communication documents from a leading organization in food waste reduction, this study identifies four specific public relations strategies used to signal cognitive legitimacy, and three strategies to signal moral legitimacy. The findings also highlight the reliance on diffusion to achieve impact as a means to navigate the paradox. Theoretically this study contributes to strengthening the contribution of public relations to organizational legitimacy in efforts to address sustainability goals. • Addresses how public relations can help an organization navigate the diffusion-impact paradox • Examines the use of public relations strategies to signal and build cognitive and moral legitimacy • Cognitive legitimacy was signaled by communication about signatories, reporting, framing, and validating. • Moral legitimacy was signaled by specifying targets, progress, and evaluation. • Analysis highlights the VEP requires diffusion to gain the targeted impact.