Corporate social responsibility, economic globalization and developing countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ziaul Haque ◽  
Fara Azmat

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the state of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in labour-intensive industries in developing countries in the context of economic globalization. Using the ready-made garments’ (RMG) industry in Bangladesh as a case study, challenges and key issues relating to CSR are highlighted. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from the review of existing literature, and the content analysis of two leading newspapers in Bangladesh for a period of one year (July 2012-June 2013) to identify the key and contemporary issues related to CSR in the RMG industry. Findings – Findings identify the contemporary issues of concerns associated with CSR in the RMG industry, relating them to the debate on the applicability of Carroll’s CSR pyramid to developing countries. The findings suggest that non-compliance of CSR in labour-intensive industries is a function of the nature of economic globalization. The need for a stakeholder approach towards CSR for the profitability and sustainability of this industry is also highlighted. Practical implications – This paper makes contributions to two different but important interrelated discourses on CSR and economic globalization. It also provides insights into the complexity involved in CSR in labour-based export industries in developing countries and acts as a springboard for further research. Originality/value – The paper is the first to look at all major issues of concern regarding CSR in the RMG industry in Bangladesh. As Bangladesh is an exemplar of developing countries and RMG is a typical starter industry, the findings are generalizable to similar industries in other developing countries.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananda Silva Singh ◽  
Eduardo De Carli ◽  
Luiz Aurélio Virtuoso ◽  
Andréa Paula Segatto ◽  
Fernanda Salvador Alves

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the commitment to a corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice developed by Company of Urbanization of Curitiba S/A – URBS, located in Curitiba (Paraná), Brazil. The paper observes the CSR practice developed by the company. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive study that used a qualitative approach was held. The research strategy of the research used consisted of a case study. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews, documental analysis and direct observation. These data were further analyzed through the content analysis’ perspective. Findings The organization in question, even without obligation, develops a CSR project that contributes to the formation and awareness of young citizens, comprising ethical, voluntary, economical and legal responsibilities. Research limitations/implications Because of the fact that this is a single case study, the results cannot be generalized, representing only the reality of this case. Practical implications The practical implications of this study lies in the attention toward training of students of public schools, especially in aspects of buses and services usage and care for public equity, factors that even contribute to citizenship and the formation of better people and professionals. This will, in the future, contribute to form citizens that are more aware and who will tend to contribute to adequate usage of the transportation system as a whole, resulting in savings for the organization. Social implications The project analyzed in this study contributes to the formation of better citizens regarding the respect and ethical responsibilities they develop toward the public transportation system. Originality/value This paper demonstrates the commitment to a CSC practice made by a mixed-economy organization that develops this practice to contribute to the formation of citizens of the city. The value of this paper lies in the fact that it shows how CSR practices can be aligned with other practices of organizations, contributing to all stakeholders involved in it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virgo Süsi ◽  
Krista Jaakson

Purpose This paper aims to explore why private equity (PE) cares about corporate social responsibility (CSR) of its investees given their relatively short investment time-horizon and how it designs corporate governance (CG) bundle to achieve both financial and CSR goals of the private firms it invests in. Design/methodology/approach Case study design is applied to get deeper insights on the why and how questions posed. Analysis is based on triangulation of secondary data and in-depth interviews with both PE and their investee firms. Findings The authors find that long-term sustainability supported by CSR increases firm value. They also outline specific CG bundle that the PE uses to achieve both its financial and CSR goals. CG mechanisms appeared to reflect agency theory, but even more resource dependence theory. Practical implications The outlined CG bundle could be used as a template for all types of private firm owners to improve both financial and CSR performance of the firm. Originality/value The paper adds to fragmented area of CG and CSR interface. The authors specifically focus on several under-researched contexts of this interface: private small and medium size firms (SMEs), emerging markets and PE investors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Dabic ◽  
Ana Colovic ◽  
Olivier Lamotte ◽  
Mollie Painter-Morland ◽  
Silvana Brozovic

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the literature on industry-specific corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple-keyword search, the authors identified 302 articles reporting on such practices, published in 99 different academic journals between 1995 and 2014. These articles were analyzed to map the CSR literature, identify which industries have been under greater scrutiny and distinguish trends in the most researched industries. Findings The authors’ findings indicate that the CSR studies are very unevenly distributed and that the issues studied and the methods used vary widely across industries. The authors also map this field of study and propose suggestions on where research on industry-specific CSR should go in the future. Originality/value The first extensive, systematic analysis of the industry-specific CSR literature is provided. The current research adds value to the literature by highlighting the key issues investigated, as well as those that require further inquiry.


Subject Outlook for corporate social responsibility. Significance Through regulation or incentives, the public sector encourages private companies to channel resources into programmes with a societal benefit. These programmes reflect the company's value system as a social actor and are encompassed under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Traditionally, the decision to initiate CSR was within the company's purview. This is changing, as legislation incentivises private companies to develop corporate social investment (CSI) programmes, bringing benefits above those directly associated with core business activities. CSI is the actualisation of the company's CSR. Impacts The growing number of companies engaged in CSR will need to be supported by advisory services and financial guidance. In developing countries, more programmes will empower women as economic drivers and not merely as assistance recipients. As CSR matures in developing countries, the stakeholders' scope of activities will broaden to include policy and governance. CSI may increase the fragmentation of efforts, as bilateral and multilateral coordination among companies will take time and resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara Castillo-Abdul ◽  
Ana Pérez-Escoda ◽  
Sabina Civila

Purpose This paper aims to increase the understanding of luxury brands’ branded content strategies concerning follower's engagement generated or not by happiness and well-being feelings spread in their branded content. Design/methodology/approach This study sample was composed of three of the most relevant luxury brands nowadays: Manolo Blahnik, Loewe, y Balenciaga. To address this research, an exploratory-correlational quantitative methodology was chosen; hypotheses were contrasted using ANOVA analysis with the SPSS software. Although the study can be considered quantitative, the first step of qualitative analysis was applied for content analysis with NVivo QSR software, categorizing all posts (N = 192) into three categories. Findings The dissemination of branded content and corporate social responsibility, despite being different in each case, show in general an interaction and affective commitment with their stakeholders. In the specific case of Manolo Blahnik and Loewe, they have prioritized their content, in the context of the pandemic, in posts related to social welfare, happiness, mental and physical health care. There are significant differences in the interaction with their audience, which respond very favorably to both “Happiness” and “Health and safety” content. Originality/value This study reveals how corporate social responsibility can be achieved using efficient communications in social networks. In this way, the perception of the image of the sector and the reputation can be improved – both sectoral and organizational – which unquestionably translates into economic gains for the brands.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Minh ◽  
Majid Khan ◽  
Jo Bensemann

Purpose Whilst research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is reaching new territories, the extent to which such literature manifests itself in developing countries is yet to be fully understood. To that end, this study aims to investigate the understanding, evolution and practice of CSR in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the current literature in the recent past (2000–2020) has been embraced in this research. By analysing a total of 143 articles, the authors demonstrate that there has been visible growth in published articles related to CSR in Vietnam over the past 21 years. Findings The authors demonstrate that CSR research in Vietnam has significantly grown in the recent past. The results highlight the in-depth distribution of publications by year, journal, industry, nature and focus of CSR research in the country. Originality/value This study is not only the first to provide an enhanced overview of the current state of CSR knowledge in the country but also sets out directions within the CSR research agenda related to Vietnam and potentially other emerging and developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vineeta Dutta Roy

Theoretical basis Poverty, business strategy and sustainable development. International development planning and poverty alleviation strategies have moved beyond centralised, top-down approaches and now emphasise decentralised, community-based approaches that incorporate actors from the community, government, non-governmental agencies and business. Collective action by Bottom of the Pyramid residents gives them greater control in self-managing environmental commons and addressing the problems of environmental degradation. Co-creation and engaging in deep dialogue with stakeholders offer significant potential for launching new businesses and generating mutual value. The case study rests on the tenets of corporate social responsibility. It serves as an example of corporate best practice towards ensuring environmental sustainability and community engagement for providing livelihood support and well-being. It illustrates the tool kit of building community-based adaptive capacities against climate change. Research methodology The field-based case study was prepared from inputs received from detailed interviews of company functionaries. Company documents are shared by the company and used with their permission. Secondary data accessed from newspapers, journal articles available online and information from the company website. Case overview/synopsis The case study is about the coming together of several important agencies working in the areas of forest and wildlife conservation, climate change adaptive planning for ecosystems and communities, social upliftment and corporate social responsibility in the Kanha Pench landscape of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The challenges are many. For one, the landscape is a rapidly degrading one, if interventions for its revival are not put in place soon enough, it may not only jeopardise the survival of its human inhabitants, which are already living here in poverty, but it will extinguish the chances of the long-term sustainability of the species of tigers living in the protected tiger reserves of Kanha and Pench. Complexity academic level The case study would be helpful for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying sustainability and corporate social responsibility.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Noronha ◽  
Tiffany Cheng Han Leung ◽  
On Ieng Lei

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the corporate response of Chinese railway companies after the deadly Wenzhou train accident in China which happened on July 23, 2011. Few studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries have looked into whether the information disclosed by companies is satisfactory with sufficient response after a major incident has happened. Design/methodology/approach – Five companies with the largest market value in the Chinese railway industry involved in the production of trains and railway systems connected to the “7.23” incident were taken as the observations in this study. Information published by the companies and the media related to the accident, including CSR and sustainability reports, company Web sites, news and press releases and Internet postings, were investigated in detail in a qualitative manner. Findings – The findings show that disclosure of information related to the “7.23” incident was very low or almost inexistent in the observed companies. For those that claimed that they had followed CSR reporting standards and guidelines, the disclosed information appeared to be insufficient to reveal practical information and fulfill stakeholders’ requirements. The study also sheds light on the corporate reporting behaviors of Chinese state-owned enterprises by applying legitimacy, stakeholder and institutional theories to the unique social and political environment in the country. Originality/value – This paper critically reveals the poor corporate response after the “7.23” incident in Chinese railway companies. The case serves as an example for the companies to ponder on what improvements are called for in terms of social reporting and relevant corporate actions after a major accident. Also, the study contributes to the CSR disclosure literature concerning developing countries by examining the case of China and the little studied railway industry run by the state.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1177-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Jojo Amos

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how and what drives corporate social responsibility (CSR) in host communities of mining companies in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach To address this knowledge gap, this paper used Ghana as a test case and conducted 24 in-depth interviews with participants drawn from mining host communities. Findings The paper discovered that while CSR is broadly understood and encompasses six thematic categories in the mining host communities, there are emphases on philanthropic and environmental responsibilities. Contrary to the evidence found in other studies, this paper discovered that CSR rhetoric plays a more positive/significant role than so far explored in CSR research, as it incentivizes the host communities to push for the fulfilment of their CSR expectations and/or CSR initiatives proposed by mining companies. Research limitations/implications Quantitative studies are needed to strengthen the findings from the present paper. Practical implications Because developing countries share similar socio-economic and geo-political realities, the findings of this paper may be applicable not only for CSR advocates, but also for policy-makers in developing countries. Originality/value The paper provides new inputs from a developing country perspective to the current debate about the CSR performance of the extractive industry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1174-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman ◽  
Mai Gamal Hafez

Purpose This paper aims to develop a framework based on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a novel approach for marketing architectural design firms (ADFs) in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this aim, a research strategy consists of literature review and survey questionnaire is designed to accomplish four objectives: first, to examine the concepts of marketing and CSR in construction; second, to investigate the perception and application of CSR as a marketing tool for ADFs in developing countries; third, to develop a framework based on CSR as an approach for marketing ADFs in developing countries; and finally, to outline research conclusions and recommendations useful to government, ADFs and future research. Findings The research highlighted the inefficiency of current marketing strategies in developing countries due to lack of considering community needs, using incomprehensible technical language in communication with clients and misrepresenting the calibers of ADFs. ADFs believe that CSR can play a role in increasing their marketability. This requires governmental involvement and overcoming the barriers of adopting CSR. Originality/value This paper proposed a framework based on CSR as a novel approach for marketing ADFs in developing countries. This ideology has received scant attention in construction literature. The proposed framework represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the original body of knowledge in a manner that has not previously occurred.


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