ECO-FRIENDLY CLAIMS, PROFIT DRIVEN MOTIVES: EXAMINING CORPORATE DISCOURSE IN MULTINATIONAL FIRMS

Abstract

In the contemporary corporate landscape, multinational organizations increasingly use ambivalent discourses to project an image of environmental responsibility while maintaining profit-driven operations. This study investigates how corporations construct such ambivalent narratives on their official websites and statements, emphasizing ecological initiatives without fully addressing the environmental harm caused by their core business practices. Employing a qualitative research design, the study analyzes textual data from the official websites of four major corporations: Coca-Cola, Saudi Aramco, L’Oréal Paris, and Apple. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), adapted through an eco-linguistic lens, is used to examine how language strategies—such as positive framing, selective lexicalization, and omission—serve to foreground sustainability while concealing environmental risks. Findings reveal that ambivalent corporate discourse consistently prioritizes profitability over genuine ecological responsibility, creating a carefully constructed green image that may mislead stakeholders. The study contributes to understanding the ideological and ecological implications of corporate communication and offers a model for analyzing beneficial, destructive, and ambivalent discourses in future research