Corporate social responsibility and international development: critical assessment (original) (raw)
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Corporate social responsibility in international development: an overview and critique
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 2003
Within the literature focusing on CSR's role in development, three ‘schools of practice’ appear to be emerging: the neo-liberal school (focused on self-regulation by industry according to the risks and rewards of CSR activity), the state-led school (focused on national and international regulation and co-operation) and the ‘third way’ school (focused on the role of for profit and not-for-profit organizations. Yet, each of these schools of practice may be critiqued using theories applicable to the broader field of development. Namely, the neo-liberal school fails to address the resource misallocations caused by CSR. The state-led school fails to address the underlying politics behind government encouraged CSR. The ‘third way’ school fails to address the self-interest involved in CSR. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
International Affairs, 2006
The May 2005 issue of International Affairs addressed the theme of critical perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the developing world. The aim of this article is to take the debate a step further. Five researchers and practitioners on corporate social responsibility and development in various regions in the developing world—Central America, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Argentina and India—using knowledge gained by their empirical research, argue that the management-oriented perspective on CSR and development is one-sided. While recognizing that critical approaches to the question have emerged, there is still a need to know which issues should form part of a critical research agenda on CSR and development.In this article the authors seek to fill this gap in order to facilitate a more in-depth investigation of what CSR initiatives can or cannot achieve in relation to improving conditions of workers and communities in the global South. They suggest that a critical research agenda on CSR and development should encompass four areas: a) the relationship between business and poverty reduction; b) the impact of CSR initiatives; c) governance dimensions of CSR; and d) power and participation in CSR. Such an alternative critical approach focuses on society's most vulnerable groups and adopts a ‘people-centred’ perspective as a counterbalance to the dominant ‘business case’ perspective. The authors conclude that this has significant implications for CSR practice.
Special Issue: International Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility
Journal of General Management, 2016
This conceptual paper seeks to explain the study of corporate social responsibility (CSR) against its recent historical past, in part by examining major factors giving rise to CSR and its diffusion in contemporary corporate practice. In doing so, it highlights some of the principal arguments for and against CSR, as well as identifies some of the tensions and dilemmas facing managers seeking to implement more socially responsible practices in the midst of common pressures to ensure firm financial performance. While many of these challenges are arguably shared across different national settings, there is far less awareness of how these realities are experienced in developing countries. This collection of papers provides some empirical evidence to address this gap.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty
2007
Corporate Social Responsibility has been adopted as an approach to international development. But who does it benefit, how and why? There are a number of reasons for doubting the claim that adopting CSR will make growth more inclusive and more equitable, and thereby reduce poverty. A key factor constraining the impact it is likely to have on the production side is the relatively small number of people employed in developing countries by the leading transnational companies (TNCs) that have adopted CSR. The centrality of stakeholders within CSR also limits its usefulness in approaching poverty. In conclusion, it remains the role of governments, supported by donors and working both with firms and civil society groups to enable a more critical CSR agenda one which looks at the range of business impacts upon poverty and the potential contributions of all actors in development towards helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Theory and Practice in a Developing Country Context
Journal of Business Ethics, 2007
After providing an overview of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research in different contexts, and noting the varied methodologies adopted, two robust CSR conceptualizations -one by Carroll (1979, 'A Three-Dimensional Conceptual Model of Corporate Performance', The Academy of Management Review 4(4), 497-505) and the other by Wood (1991, 'Corporate Social Perfor-mance Revisited', The Academy of Management Review 16 , 691-717) -have been adopted for this research and their integration explored. Using this newly synthesized framework, the research critically examines the CSR approach and philosophy of eight companies that are considered active in CSR in the Lebanese context. The findings suggest the lack of a systematic, focused, and institutionalized approach to CSR and that the understanding and practice of CSR in Lebanon are still grounded in the context of philanthropic action. The findings are qualified within the framework of existing contextual realities and relevant implications drawn accordingly.