Social responsibility: The changing role of business in South Africa

1979 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Wagenaar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Changing Role

Business in South Africa is becoming increasingly involved in the solution of the social problems of the country, and business managers face growing demands concerning the corporate social responsibility of the private sector. The author investigated the nature and scope of corporate social responsibility in South Africa, considering both the viewpoint of business managers, and the expectations of the public. Both questionnaires and interviews were used in the investigation. The attitudes of managers and the expectations of society are set out in detail, and are then compared, showing that society is significantly more in favour of corporate social responsibility than the business community. There is, however, also a growing social awareness among South African business leaders.Sake-ondernemings in Suid-Afrika word toenemend betrek by die oplossing van die sosiale probleme van die land, en bestuurders is blootgestel aan toenemende eise wat betref die sosiale verantwoordelikheid van die private onderneming. Die skrywer het die aard en trefwydte van die sosiale verantwoordelikheid van Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings ondersoek, met inagneming van sowel die standpunt van sakebestuurders as die verwagtings van die publiek. Vraelyste en personlike onderhoude is in die ondersoek gebruik. Die houdings van bestuurders en die verwagtings van die gemeenskap word volledig uiteengesit, en word dan vergelyk. Dit blyk dat die gemeenskap betekenisvol meer ten gunste is van sosiaal-verantwoordelike optrede deur ondernemings, as die sakelui. Daar is egter ook 'n groeiende bewustheid van sosiale verantwoordelikheid onder Suid-Afrikaanse sakeleiers.

CSR@ 2%: A NEW MODEL OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN INDIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-66
Author(s):  
Anupam Singh ◽  
Dr. Priyanka Verma
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Corporate Philanthropy ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Net Worth ◽  
The Social ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Indian Scenario

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) earlier applied as corporate philanthropy and has been in practice in India since ages. However, philanthropy in globalised and modern India does not solve the purpose in quantity and quality. Clause 135 of Company Act 2013 created huge hue and cry among the business community in India. As per clause 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, Every company with an annual turnover of 1,000 crore INR ($161 million) and more, or a net worth of 500 crore INR ($80 million) and more, or a net profit as low as five crore INR ($800,000) and more have to spend at least 2% of their average net profit over the previous three years on CSR activities. With the introduction of new Company act 2013 India became the first country in the world to have legislation for compulsory CSR spending. The paper aims at analyzing the motive of making CSR spending mandatory and it also attempts to explain the concept of CSR in the present Indian scenario, the social issues addressed by the Indian corporations, and methodologies adopted by them to address those issues.

Corporate social responsibility disclosure on the websites of coffee chains in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petek Tosun
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Social And Environmental Responsibilities ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Coffee is among the primary products that attract the public attention to the social and environmental responsibilities of companies. Coffee shops have a big carbon footprint because of their daily operations. With the rising consciousness about sustainability in developing countries, online disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important for not only multinational but also local coffee chains. The purpose of this study is to analyze the extent to which coffee chains include CSR on their websites. Design/methodology/approach Turkey, which is a large emerging economy with an expanding coffee chain market, is selected as the research context. The CSR disclosure on the websites of coffee chains is examined by content analysis according to CSR dimensions. A sample of 27 coffee chains with more than ten stores is included in the analysis. Findings Foreign coffee chains disclose more information on the environment and fair trade than local coffee chains. On the other hand, CSR content in websites of foreign and local coffee chains does not differ significantly in human resources and community dimensions. Foreign coffee chains have comparatively longer brand history, more rooted brands and larger networks than local coffee chains. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first that used a content analysis about CSR on the websites of coffee chains in Turkey. Findings contribute to the understanding of CSR disclosure in the coffee chain industry and can be beneficial for researchers and managers in other emerging markets.

Democracy and Private Discretion in Business

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim Dubbink
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Modern Theory ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social

Abstract:Some critics raise moral objections against corporate social responsibility on account of its supposedly undemocratic nature. They argue that it is hard to reconcile democracy with the private discretion that always accompanies the discharge of responsibilities that are not judicially enforceable. There are two ways of constructing this argument: the “perfect-market argument” and the ‘social-power argument.” This paper demonstrates that the perfect-market argument is untenable and that the social-power argument is sometimes valid. It also asserts that the proponents of the perfect-market argument are mistaken in their assumption that perfect markets are conducive to democracy. There are strong reasons to hold that perfect markets are undesirable from a democratic point of view. A proper conceptualization and differentiation of the relation between “the private and the public” can make this clear. The proponents of the social-power argument sometimes maintain that the democratic deficit can be compensated for by consulting the stakeholders affected. Against this, I will argue that the social power argument has nothing to offer affected parties. Still, it will be shown that modern theory on corporate social responsibility is not well accommodated to the democratic deficit as revealed by the social power argument.

Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility of a Social Enterprise: An Empirical Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
pp. 1650018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soon-Beng Chew ◽  
Wei Quan Jeffrey Huang ◽  
Hui Ching Chia ◽  
Huang Chi Soh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Labor Movement ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Field Survey ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

This paper makes an attempt to estimate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of a social enterprise in Singapore. Following the literature, we measure CSR based on a set of standard questions to gauge how the public values CSR according to these standard questions. The social enterprise being studied is NTUC Fairprice. NTUC is Singapore's labor movement which is a macro-focused union that works well with the government to achieve growth with equity ([Yao, S and SB Chew (2014). A mathematical model of a macro-focused labour union. Singapore Economic Review, 59(4), 1–13] for the theory of the macro-focused union). In this study, we also measure the CSR of Giant, another supermarket which is a commercial firm. A comparative analysis of the estimate of the CSR of these two firms is then made. The main finding is that, based on a field survey, Singaporeans value the CSR of NTUC Fairprice more highly than that of Giant. Our regression analysis reveals that the CSR valuation of NTUC Fairprice is basically determined by how people perceive NTUC Fairprice in terms of their sentiments. On the other hand, the only variable that is statistically significant in explaining changes in the CSR valuation of Giant is Malay respondents. The study also finds that, based on the second field survey, almost 85% of respondents chose to become members of NTUC because of non-collective bargaining benefits and only 10% joined the union because of sentiment. The main conclusion is that it pays for an organization to be known as a social enterprise. As NTUC Fairprice is a social enterprise of the labor movement in Singapore, union members are always supportive of the social effort of its cooperatives, of which NTUC Fairprice is one. An important incentive for workers to become union members is the provision of non-collective bargaining benefits provided by the labor movement.

scholarly journals RESEARCH OF APPROACHES TO THE ASSESSMENT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (197) ◽  
pp. 63-69
Author(s):  
E.P. Troshina ◽  
◽  
T.A. Chizhova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Mission ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social

With the increasing role assigned to the social mission of business in the formation of a positive image in front of the public, the problem of evaluating the activities in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by organizations focused on successful development is becoming increasingly relevant. The article discusses the various approaches currently used in practice (including standards, sustainability indices, self-assessment models) that allow evaluating the activities of organizations in the field of CSR. Such a variety of evaluation methods is due to the fact that each of them has a number of limitations in its application, which should be considered. As a result of systematization of the approaches to CSR assessment considered in the framework of the study, their comparative analysis was carried out in key areas of CSR. A significant result of the presented scientific work is the determination of the most appropriate method for assessing the activities of mediumsized businesses in all areas of CSR (environmental, social, economic, stakeholders, neighborliness).

Corporate social responsibility in South Africa: quo vadis?

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Alastair Lindsay Coldwell ◽  
Tasneem Joosub
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Shared Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – Strategies and policies aimed at alleviating poverty in Sub-Saharan African countries usually depend on capitalistically driven economic growth. However, the view that capitalism needs to reinvent itself to survive the crisis of confidence brought about by the recent global financial collapse depends on the extent to which such a shared value oriented, sustainable capitalist reinvention is embraced by emergent business leaders. A sustainable system of capitalism driven by business and community shared value can only take root if the hearts and minds of future business leaders are convinced of their cogency and appropriateness. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports the findings of an empirical study utilizing a Likert-type scale designed to measure corporate shared value (CSV) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) among a sample of fourth year accountancy students at a leading South African university. Findings – Preliminary findings suggest that perceptions of this group of emergent leaders generally regard CSR rather than CSV as the “correct” business model for companies to follow. Although the sample is limited to one South African university and is relatively small, it contributes to the literature by offering insight into emergent business leaders’ perceptions and their view of the direction of CSR in South Africa should take. Research limitations/implications – Implications of the paper are that by offering insight into emergent business leaders’ perceptions of South African society and specifically their view of the direction South African CSR should take, the paper suggests prescriptive remedial steps in policy that educational and other learning institutions could take to engender appropriate social values in learners. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature by offering devised and tested measuring instruments for CSR and CSV in the South African context and gives insight into emergent business leaders’ perceptions and their view of the direction of CSR in South Africa should take.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Gender Justice in South Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-237
Author(s):  
Clint Le Bruyns
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Gender Justice ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Gender Ideals ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Corporate Social

AbstractThis article critically explores the extent to which corporate social responsibility in South Africa contributes to the quest for gender justice in the world of economy. It fi nds that business has avoided the notion of responsibility in favour of investment and philanthropy, and that meaningful and constructive approaches to gender ideals have not as a result been forthcoming. e article argues for a renewed understanding of and commitment to responsibility with special attention given to underlying perspectives impeding this approach, but sees much promise in the role that churches with their theology and partners could fulfil in assisting the public discourse on women's human dignity, equality and freedom amidst various economic challenges.

scholarly journals Ethical considerations of corporate social responsibility - A South African perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Ackers
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
South African ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Johannesburg Stock Exchange ◽  
The Social ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
Corporate Social

Today, companies are under increasing pressure to implement corporate social responsibility [CSR] programmes that account for the economic, social and environmental impacts of their operations. In addition to companies voluntarilywanting to be seen as responsible corporate citizens, the requirement for CSR reporting is being institutionalised by the King Code of Governance [King III] in South Africa. The application of King III is mandatory for all companies listedon the Johannesburg Stock Exchange [JSE], albeit on an 'apply or explain' basis. King III requires companies to not only disclose their CSR performance, but also to ensure that such disclosures have been independently assured. Irrespective ofthe underlying reason for companies disclosing their CSR performance and for providing independent assurance thereon, companies are moving away from simplistically applying the cliche attributed to Friedman that "the social responsibility of business was to use its resources to engage in activities that would increase profits". Companies that have traditionally provided financial reporting to shareholders, are now beginning to account for their non-financial performance to other stakeholders as well. This paradigm shift requires those charged with company governance and reporting (including accounting professionals usually associated with financial reporting), to re-examine their morals, values and ethical beliefs.

scholarly journals Fostering Sustainable Development: A Corporate Social Responsibility Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Oluyomi A. Osobajo ◽  
Olushola E. Ajide ◽  
Afolabi Otitoju
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the sacrificing of profits in the social interest of the public for sustainable management in an economical, ecological and social manner. It is the use of assets responsibly to create a competitive advantage and promote sustainable development. It is a series of interventions by companies to ameliorate externalized impact or the avoidance of conflicts. This article argues that CSR could be used as a tool for the attainment of sustainable development in the global south. Our aim is that companies should understand the critical role that CSR could play and adopt a corporate strategy that would use CSR to advance and enhance the value of the organization, thereby positively to impact the society.

scholarly journals Corporate social responsibility: Applying sustainability principles in stakeholder engagement

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renitha Rampersad
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
South African ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
The South ◽  
Corporate Sector ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Sustainability Principles

There is a strong ethical case to redress poverty and inequality in South Africa. The South African corporate sector has been called upon to take responsibility for the ways their operations impact societies. There has been considerable change in the way the corporate sector concerns themselves with applying sustainability principles to the ways in which they conduct their business specifically in their social interactions with stakeholders. This sees the South African corporate sector investing millions to support sustainable community development and social programs. The total corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure in South Africa was estimated to amount to R8.2 billion in 2013/2014 (Trialogue, 2014). Although major South African and multinational companies have had ample opportunity to express and communicate their views on the potential of CSR, the voices of communities continue to be thwarted and stifled when they should logically lie at the heart of effective change management interventions. Business has the obligation, and also the resources, to make a contribution to communities in which they operate. This article investigates the South African business sectors involvement in stakeholder engagement and describes two cases of major South African companies and their increased value for a stakeholder governance model.

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