Corporate social responsibility: is it an alternative to government?

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Xavier Dery Tuokuu ◽  
Kwesi Amponsah-Tawiah
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained global prominence in recent years. This is because businesses have seen the need to consider the interests of stakeholders not only to enhance their corporate image but also to live good neighbourly lives with the communities in which they operate. The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of engaging stakeholders and recommend multinational corporations not to take over the governance of countries in which they operate as a result of their financial muscle but to play complementary roles to help in the development of those countries. Although CSR is no longer new in Africa according to recent studies, it is suffering from identity crisis, as it has been used generally and severally to refer to different issues. This conceptual paper discusses the notion of CSR practice in Africa and the major issues and debates around it. It looks at the role of government and civil society organisations that are at the forefront playing watchdog and vigilante roles for the benefit of the society. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper. Findings The paper argues that business and society cannot exist without working together and that responsible business is key to sustainable development. It traces the roots of CSR and the emergence of the concept. It advises that what is required in Africa is for the media and civil society organizations to play watchdog and vigilante roles in ensuring that businesses are socially responsible, accountable and transparent. If governments and businesses are transparent and accountable, then the citizens become the greatest beneficiary. The profit margins of businesses will also increase and there will be sustainable development. The paper also indicates that the concept of CSR is gaining grounds in Africa and is no longer new as indicated by previous studies. It recommends that Africa should have its own CSR programmes designed to fit into the African setting. The paper examines the major issues and debates on CSR and concludes that any attempt to introduce uniform laws to ensure responsible business operations universally will not work as situations differ from country to country. The overreliance on corporate entities, particularly Multinational corporations (MNCs) and transnational corporation (TNCs), for the direct development of African economies is not sustainable, as these corporate entities cannot continue to fulfil these obligations meant for the development of infrastructure and still be expected to provide basic amenities for communities under the guise of fulfilling CSR. This process of national development is unsustainable. Originality/value The paper recommends a multi-stakeholder approach in designing and implementing CSR programmes. The government, civil society, community and the company should collaborate and constantly have stakeholder engagements as that are the only way of attaining a win-win benefit. MNCs and TNCs should see the government and other stakeholders as partners in development and not lord it over them as a result of their financial muscle. It is recommended that more research work be done in CSR education in Africa. This is to enable business operators and communities understand the true meaning of CSR and to know that the concept goes beyond philanthropy or donations. It will also help them understand that the concept goes beyond community relations to include issues such as human rights, child labour, environmental governance and corporate tax among others.

Mandatory corporate social responsibility in India: reporting reality, issues and way forward

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Taneja ◽  
Ameeta Jain ◽  
Mahesh Joshi ◽  
Monika Kansal
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Mandatory Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Reporting Requirements ◽  
Expectation Gap ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Since 2013, the Indian Companies Act Section 135 has mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by Indian central public sector enterprises (CPSEs). CSR reporting is regulated by multiple Government of India ministerial agencies, each requiring different formats and often different data. This study aims to understand the impact of these multiple regulatory bodies on CSR reporting by Indian CPSEs; evaluate the expectation gap between regulators and the regulated; and investigate the compliance burden on CPSEs. Design/methodology/approach An interview-based approach was adopted to evaluate the perspectives of both regulators and regulated CPSEs on the impact of the new regulations on CSR reporting quality. The authors use the lens of institutional theory to analyse the findings. Findings Driven by coercive institutional pressures, CPSEs are overburdened with myriad reporting requirements, which significantly negatively impact CPSEs’ financial and human resources and the quality of CSR activity and reports. It is difficult for CPSEs to assess the actual impact of their CSR activities due to overlapping with activities of the government/other institutions. The perceptions of regulators and the regulated are divergent: the regulators expect CPSEs to select more impactful CSR projects to comply with mandatory reporting requirements. Originality/value The findings of this study emphasise the need for meaningful dialogue between regulators and the regulated to reduce the expectation gap and establish a single regulatory authority that will ensure that the letter and spirit of the law are followed in practice and not just according to a tick-box approach.

Integrating corporate social responsibility into efforts to realize millennium development goals

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Katamba ◽  
Cedric Marvin Nkiko ◽  
Charles Tushabomwe-Kazooba ◽  
Sulayiman Babiiha Mpisi ◽  
Imelda Kemeza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an alternative roadmap to accelerating realization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Uganda, even after 2015. Design/methodology/approach – Using a mixed research methodology, this research documented CSR activities of 16 companies operating in Uganda. Data collection was guided by quantitative and qualitative methodologies (semi-structured interviews with CSR managers, plus non-participant observation of CSR activities and projects linked with MDGs). Triangulation was used to ensure credibility and validity of the results. For data analysis, the authors followed a three-stepwise process, which helped to develop a framework within which the collected data could be analyzed. For generalization of the findings, the authors were guided by the “adaptive theory approach”. Findings – Uganda will not realize any MDGs by 2015. However, CSR activities have the potential to contribute to a cross-section of various MDGs that are more important and relevant to Uganda when supported by the government. If this happens, realization of the MDGs is likely to be stepped up. CSR's potential contributions to the MDGs were found to be hindered by corruption and cost of doing business. Lastly, MDG 8 and MDG 3 were perceived to be too ambiguous to be integrated into company CSR interventions, and to a certain extent were perceived to be carrying political intentions which conflict with the primary business intentions of profit maximization. Practical implications – Governments in developing countries that are still grappling with the MDGs can use this research when devising collaborations with private-sector companies. These documented CSR activities that contribute directly to specific MDGs can be factored into the priority public-private partnership arrangements. Private companies can also use these findings to frame their stakeholder engagement, especially with the government and also when setting CSR priorities that significantly contribute to sustainable development. Originality value – This research advances the “Post-2015 MDG Development Agenda” suggested during the United Nations MDG Summit in 2010, which called for academic and innovative contributions on how MDGs can be realized even after 2015.

scholarly journals Board and corporate social responsibility disclosure of multinational corporations

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanh Thi Song Pham ◽  
Hien Thi Tran
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
The One ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of board model and board independence on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure of multinational corporations (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach The authors developed an empirical model in which CSR disclosure is the dependent variable and board model (two-tier vs one-tier), board independence (a proportion of independent directors on a board) and the interaction variable of board model and board independence together with several variables conventionally used as control variables are independent variables. The authors collated the panel dataset of 244 Fortune World’s Most Admired (FWMA) corporations from 2005 to 2011 of which 117 MNCs use the one-tier board model, and 127 MNCs use the two-tier board model from 20 countries. They used the random-effect regression method to estimate the empirical models with the data they collated and also ran regressions on the alternative models for robustness check. Findings The authors found a significantly positive effect of a board model on CSR disclosure by MNCs. Two-tier MNCs tend to reveal more CSR information than one-tier MNCs. The results also confirm the significant moderating impact of board model on the effect of board independence on CSR disclosure. The effect of board independence on CSR disclosure in the two-tier board MNCs tends to be higher than that in the one-tier board MNCs. The results do not support the effect of board independence on CSR disclosure in general for all types of firms (one-tier and two-tier board). The impact of board independence on CSR disclosure is only significant in two-tier board MNCs and insignificant in one-tier board MNCs. Practical implications The authors advise the MNCs who wish to improve CSR reporting and transparency to consider the usage of two-tier board model and use a higher number of outside directors on board. They note that once a firm uses one-tier model, number of IDs on a board does not matter to the level of CSR disclosure. They advise regulators to enforce an application of two-tier board model to improve CSR reporting and transparency in MNCs. The authors also recommend regulators to continue mandating publicly traded companies to include more external members on their boards, especially for the two-tier board MNCs. Originality/value This paper is the first that investigates the role of board model on CSR disclosure of MNCs.

Corporate Social Responsibility

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Cornelia Philipova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Aged Population ◽  
Development Tool ◽  
Corporate Social

The processes accompanying state social policy over recent decades as well as their contradictory impact on the sustainable development of the society are one of the fundamental problems of our time. Nowadays, there are still no clear solutions to the debate how to alleviate some of the fundamental problems like environmental pollution, poverty, aged population, income inequality, social exclusion, etc. This chapter aims to show how multinational corporations (MNCs) take the role to solve these issues following some corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. In this way, they offer a means by which the current CSR model can be used more effectively to achieve these sustainable development targets. The structure of the chapter is organized as follows: Section 2 presents an evolution while Section 3 provides a summary of some contemporary views of CSR. Section 4 describes the way in which CSR is used as a sustainable development tool.

Voluntary environmental collaborations and corporate social responsibility in Siem Reap city, Cambodia

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koet Vitiea ◽  
Seunghoo Lim
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Collaborative Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Private Actors

Purpose This study aims to identify which actors play leadership and brokerage roles in voluntary environmental collaborations and how the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of actors is associated with such voluntary networking behaviours in Cambodia. Design/methodology/approach To achieve these purposes, this study mainly uses social network analysis to capture the properties of networking behaviours in the voluntary collaborative activities underlying three main environmental issues: waste disposal, energy and water pollution. The study focusses on the collaborative efforts undertaken by actors across multiple sectors: governmental organizations, for-profits and civil society organizations. Findings The results show that the government plays the leading role in voluntary environmental collaborations across environmental issues; however, the actual implementation is expanded to be undertaken by non-state actors. Moreover, CSR has positive associations with networking and brokerage roles; therefore, this study reveals the utility of various voluntary policy instruments. Practical implications This study demonstrates the role of governmental initiation and its influence on non-state actors, even for voluntary environmental tools. The CSR initiatives of private actors can also be supported and encouraged by the government, which will promote participation by private actors in voluntary collaborative networks and their leading role as network facilitators. Social implications By understanding the positions and roles of each actor in the environmental collaborative networks, environmental policymakers can better understand the possibilities and the capabilities of each actor both to improve policy design and learning and to respond to policy changes effectively. Originality/value Voluntary collaboration and CSR are non-regulated policy tools; however, they can be promoted and introduced into society by governmental organizations, and they affect each other.

Corporate Social Responsibility in hospitality: are sustainability initiatives really sustainable? Case examples from CitizenM, Lefay and Six Senses

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-545
Author(s):  
Virginia Maria Stombelli
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Future ◽  
Virtuous Cycle ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose In 2016, the United Nations published the agenda for sustainable development with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), asking everyone to commit to reach the Goals’ targets by 2030. Accordingly, hospitality brands developed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to deliver positive direct, indirect and induced impacts to the triple bottom lines’ environmental, social and economic dimensions. The purpose of this paper consists in investigating the benefits that companies want to obtain, engaging in these activities. Three very different hotel brands’ CSR are analyzed to consider their undeclared coordination with the UN SDGs namely CitizenM, Lefay and Six Senses. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on secondary qualitative data retrieved from websites. Findings When choosing to commit to CSR initiatives, companies not only behave as good corporate citizens but also pursue their economic interests. By so doing, they receive benefits that vary from improved image and reputation amongst guests to enhanced satisfaction and commitment amongst employees, passing through reduced fiscal burdens and financial savings. Practical implications The UN SDGs seem to potentially create a virtuous cycle in which Goal 8, decent work and economic growth, must be a leading cornerstone. To make the cycle work, socio-economic engagement and factual certainly should be improved and hospitality companies should pay a role both by measuring and publishing the benefits of committing to CSR and funding sustainability research that can be beneficial to their business, too. If this happens and the UN SDGs’ targets are met, the future will benefit from a circular economy, whereby resources will not be disposed of but maintained, repaired, reused, remanufactured and refurbished before being recycled. In other words, sustainability is not only about creating a better life for every living being but also about developing favourable business environments to benefit companies. Originality/value The comparison of hospitality brands’ with theoretically identified benefits represents the starting point of a wider multi-dimensional reflection on coordination between companies’ CSR and UN SDGs. Recommendations to sustain the sustainability virtuous cycle and to look at the future are drawn.

scholarly journals Corporate social responsibility against workers?

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Clément Séhier
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Value Added ◽  
International Labour Organisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Audits ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This paper aims to investigate to what extent and for which reasons the codes of conduct and social audits of multinational corporations (MNCs) have failed to change practices within Chinese factories. A special attention is given to the social compliance initiatives (SCIs) and multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) which did not overcome the main obstacles of the compliance approach. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a fieldwork in China, including 36 semi-constructed interviews with practitioners involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR), participant observation in the CSR programme of the International Labour Organisation office in Beijing and several visits of factories involved in CSR programmes. Secondary sources are used to estimate the distribution of value added along global value chains (GVCs). Findings The codes of conduct and social audits tend to reproduce the domination of MNCs within GVCs. This paper highlights some obstacles – and opportunities – for CSR appropriate to the Chinese context. Research limitations/implications Only a few MNCs agreed to meet the author and speak openly. No one allowed the author to visit their suppliers’ factories. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that the most widespread approach to CSR by MNCs is flawed. More attention should be given to specific institutional contexts and to workers’ participation. Originality/value CSR discourse and practices in China are put in the context of GVCs and in the transformation of Chinese industry and labour relations. This method allows going beyond a case study approach. Instrumentations of several SCIs and MSIs are also analysed in detail.

Embedding corporate governance and corporate social responsibility in emerging countries

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigufta Hena Uzma
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Emerging Countries ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This paper aims to examine how the governance structure incorporates corporate social responsibility (CSR) into corporate behaviour in the perspective of the external environment within emerging countries. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the various CSR legislations enacted in the global context and in particular reference to the Indian Companies Act 2013. Findings The embedded relationship between CSR and corporate governance (CG) is an outcome of extensive dimensions such as ownership structure, stakeholder approach and other external environmental factors such as the government regulations and legislation, legal enforcement and corporate disclosure culture. Originality/value The enactment of the Companies Act 2013 in India has infused a new direction for the corporations in implementing CSR and CG practices. This paper throws light on the coverage of the Companies Act 2013 and various challenges faced by the companies in the applicability of the CSR and CG framework in the Indian context.

scholarly journals Corporate Social Responsibility through SDGs: Preliminary Results from a Pilot Study in Italian Universities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Antonio Costa ◽  
Alessandra Tafuro ◽  
Marco Benvenuto ◽  
Carmine Viola
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Scientific Debate ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Background: In the broad scientific debate on the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the strategic planning of universities and on the use of monitoring the results of the strategy of the indicators relating to the pursuit of sustainable development goals (SDGs), there is a lack of studies demonstrating the effective degree of institutionalization of CSR in universities. Methods: This analysis constitutes a pilot study relating to the Italian university context. The study was carried out through an analysis on the contents of the three-year strategic performance plans (2020–2022) drawn up by individual universities and compulsorily published on the national portal of the Public Function Department, as required by article 10, paragraph 1, letter (a) of Legislative Decree 150/2009. A matrix was made with the information extracted by the documents and relative to the presence of the SDGs in the strategic performance plan. Consequently, using a Likert scale, the different degrees of institutionalization of CSR in the strategic plan of the universities were coded. Results: The results of the pilot study highlighted that the strategic planning of Italian universities’ CSR practices and the challenges of sustainable development are hardly ever systematically addressed. Therefore, there is a low degree of institutionalization of CSR in the Italian university system, even though the literature shows a high cultural and scientific commitment to establish university and post-graduate study courses with corporate social responsibility and sustainable development content and an increasing trend in the use of the accountability tools such as the social report or the sustainability report. Conclusions: It is necessary to share the results of scientific research on CSR and SDGs with the government and governance bodies of universities in order to harmonize the CSR and sustainability culture of these bodies with that of academics.

scholarly journals Features of corporate social responsibility of business in Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 115-127
Author(s):  
Alla Zlenko ◽  
Оlena Isaikina
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
The State ◽  
Social Resource ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
The World ◽  
Corporate Social

Relevance of the research topic. In the conditions of systemic restructuring of the economy of Ukraine in the direction of its adaptation to world standards, one of the integral components of the successful functioning of modern business is the development of a strategy of corporate social responsibility. Today, sustainable economic development is not determined by the factor of availability of raw materials or markets, but the opportunity for companies to join the market of highly skilled labor, scientific inventions and the latest technologies. The problems of employment, social instability, and deteriorating environment are becoming more acute and urgent in the world. All this necessitates the formation of an innovative model of development and principles of corporate social responsibility, which is becoming one of the most important areas of a market economy. Formulation of the problem. It is theoretically proven and confirmed by the practice of the world's leading companies that social responsibility can and should be considered as an important social resource of the organization, able to form concrete benefits, ensure sustainable development, adequately respond to social challenges (both internal and external), turning the latter into opportunities. It should be emphasized that social responsibility appears as an important social resource, regardless of the concept of social responsibility the company adheres to. Analysis of recent research and publications. Theoretical and methodological aspects of the formation and development of social responsibility of business are embedded in the studies of the following leading foreign scientists: A. Berle, G. Bowen, M. Velazquez, A. Carroll, F. Kotler, G. Minz, J. Rawls, K. Smith, M Friedman et al. Of particular interest in studying this problem are the works of modern domestic scientists: O. Danylenko, V. Yevtushenko, A. Kolota, N. Kyryliuk, M. Kuzhelev, V. Mamontova, O. Sheremeta and others. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. The issue of the effectiveness of the functioning of corporate social responsibility in Ukrainian business practice and the formation of the domestic model of CSR remains insufficiently studied in the domestic scientific environment. Problem statement, purpose of research. The key direction of the world community today is the development of human capital as the basis of the general welfare of the state. One of the conditions for the implementation of the concept of human development and human capital is the introduction and compliance with the basics of corporate social responsibility of business (CSR). The purpose of the work is a comprehensive analysis of the development of CSR in Ukraine. Research methodology. During the writing of the article the methods of analysis and synthesis, system approach, statistical analysis, generalization and structuring were used. Presentation of the main research material. The institution of socially responsible business is typical of most countries with economies based on market values, long-standing democratic traditions, and a developed civil society. In modern conditions in different countries, the participation of business in solving social problems is either strictly regulated under current commercial, tax, labor, environmental legislation or carried out independently under the influence of specially established incentives and benefits. In Ukraine, this process is in the initial stages of its development and takes place in a dominant position of the state, extremely weak development of civil society institutions and oligarchic business development. Field of application of results. The results of the study can be applied in the process of forming a strategy of corporate social responsibility of a modern enterprise. Conclusions in accordance with the article. Corporate social responsibility in the developed world has long been part of society. Today, domestic business leaders are joining the global movement for socially responsible business. In order for funds allocated for social initiatives to bring sustainable results and work on the image of the business, companies must move to building these activities on a systemic basis in accordance with the strategy. It is here that broad prospects open up for the joint efforts of companies, civil society organizations, the media and the state. The immediate business benefits of CSR are the creation of a stable business environment, reduced operational risks, increased financial performance and sales, increased productivity, reduced recruitment costs, market expansion and, consequently, increased market value in the future. The interaction of political, social and economic actors, based on the principles of social partnership, allows to ensure the stable progressive development of the state. With the increasing importance of non-financial factors of sustainable development (social stability, environmental security, etc.), the practical and theoretical aspects of social responsibility are updated.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document