Crafting a Sustainable Corporate Performance: The Value of Corporate Conscience (original) (raw)
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Towards corporate sustainability: Equitable wealth allocation to all participating stakeholders
African Journal of Business Management, 2012
In the corporate and academic worlds, issues regarding corporate sustainability have become much pronounced. To sustain future business activities, corporations are advised to adhere to good corporate governance where they have to focus on social and environmental elements, apart from their economic aspirations. This is a new phenomenon in business as many corporations tend to focus their attention on the allocation of corporate wealth mainly to shareholders through the maxim of "maximisation of shareholders' wealth". The aim of this study is to empirically research on the current practices that corporations deploy and report the results in a scientific manner. Although at a transitional stage, the results indicate that corporations in Africa attend to issues of corporate sustainability through allocation of their wealth to many stakeholders that are involved in the wealth creation. To understand the interconnectedness and interdependence of different stakeholders that determine sustainability of any business, a conceptual framework of stakeholder relationships and networks has been developed. The study contributes towards new knowledge about corporate sustainability issues that involve companies in Africa.
African Journal of Commercial Studies, 2023
This study addresses the mediating role of the philanthropic dimension of corporate social responsibility in the relationship between other corporate social responsibility practices and sustainable corporate performance in Zimbabwe's service-based firm sector. Managerial perceptional data was collected from 650 senior managers in organisations within the service-based sector of the Harare region. The online questionnaire's measurement items draw from stakeholder, legitimacy, and triple-bottom-line theories. The empirical findings highlight the relative importance of environmental and philanthropic factors in promoting long-term competitiveness. The results suggest that philanthropy is a mediator in the connection between the corporate social responsibility dimensions of economic, ethical, and environmental responsibilities. The importance of philanthropy in elucidating the relationship between these variables is implied. The study emphasizes that relying solely on philanthropy is insufficient to maintain long-term performance. Achieving sustainable corporate performance growth depends on the optimal interaction of different corporate social responsibility elements, which drive business growth. Investing in corporate social responsibility by collaborating with stakeholders and creating shared value is crucial for firms to succeed. This research adds to the current literature on corporate social responsibility and sustainability performance by offering valuable insights into the motivations, challenges, and strategies unique to Zimbabwe's service sector. The text underscores the significance of environmental and philanthropic factors in promoting long-term competitiveness. It also emphasizes adopting a comprehensive corporate social responsibility approach to achieve sustainable performance.
The paper seeks to assess Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities by corporate in Zimbabwe as a case study of developing countries. A survey research approach was adopted to gather qualitative descriptive data from a convenience sample of 96 company executives from 20 companies most of which were parastatals at a university training program using a self-administered questionnaire to gather descriptive qualitative data. Findings showed that 90% of the corporate organisations participate in corporate social responsibility of which 80% of the organisations in Zimbabwe concentrate on philanthropic activities (those with a short term solution). It was concluded that corporates and their Non Governmental Organisations counterparts, participate in CSR but their activities have only short to medium term benefits to the community, therefore philanthropic. It was recommended that corporate leaders adopt the CSR concept which goes beyond philanthropy and contribute towards sustainable development.
Corporate social responsibility management in Uganda
2012
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate how business enterprises in Uganda manage their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and projects. Design/methodology/approach – The investigations focused on a limited number of management facets. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the researchers collected data through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. These included semi-structured interviews with managers of selected enterprises, as well as non-participant observation of CSR activities and projects. Findings – The findings show unbalanced engagement in CSR for business managers in Uganda. Managers are largely motivated towards CSR by external factors such as attracting and retaining customers, enhancing reputation and operational efficiencies to achieve competitive advantage, rather than internal factors such as CSR policies, employee welfare and CSR reporting. Another significant finding is that the responsibility to initiate, administer, and m...
ABSTRACT: There has been increasing awareness for companies to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities (Carroll, 1999). The benefits of which vary in different companies as well as the motivations for engaging in it. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a relatively new concept in formal application and lexicon in Uganda, having its roots in its application by multinational companies through philanthropic activities to develop communities in which they operate. It is now very common to see CSR activity reports on most companies’ financial statements and reports. However, the reason why companies in Uganda engage in CSR despite the growing inflation and economic downtown has not yet been researched to the best of the researcher’s knowledge. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and analyse why companies in Uganda are motivated to engage in CSR to form a baseline for further research. The study sought stakeholder’s perception and attitude towards CSR using open and closed ended questionnaires as well as secondary data collection. The CSR aspect is perceived differently by various stakeholders and therefore the Relativism research approach was used for the study. The primary data was attained from a sample of nine managers from three beverage companies, and 60 consumers from central, east and western Uganda. Secondary data was attained from the companies’ websites and media publications as well was analysed and compared with the theories and drivers on the reason companies engage in CSR that have been advanced by various scholars. Quantitatively, data was analysed using Microsoft excel 2010 and presented as tables and graphs for easy analysis. Quantitatively, the researcher grouped similar responses from the participants’ questionnaires to form a description and used direct quotes from the participants’ responses for substantiation. Findings indicate that firstly, respondents are aware of what CSR entails however; it’s reliant on mainly on philanthropy because of the cultural nature of activities that are carried out by institutions. Stakeholders’ definition of CSR is similarly dependent on the activities that they engage in or have seen companies engage in. Consumers’ decision to use a brand is not yet dependent on the social causes that companies engage in rather on brand attributes. Secondly, CSR activities are mainly centred on the development of society and HIV/Aids treatment which are a major problem gap that the Ugandan government has filled not and this indicates that companies engage in CSR for social economical, ethical and political benefits (Mêlé and Garriga, 2008). I recommend further research that covers a larger consumer and manager sample, more companies and it should cover a larger geographical area as well for more conclusive results.
The objectives of corporations conducting business entail making profit and or making a difference. Corporations contribute billions of dollars towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) each year in the name of addressing the welfare of the society. The assumption that if companies are successful and exhibit increasing financial performance they have an obligation to care for the society does exist in some regions. This paper explores the understanding of CSR and examines if the population in Kenya expects corporations to take initiative in addressing the welfare of their society. The results substantiate that CSR initiatives from corporations conducting business in Kenya are unexpected by the local population. The findings confirmed that the population sought for assistance from some organizations that included American National Red Cross, UNICEF, World Vision, and World Hunger.
Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation: Lessons from Uganda
Purpose: This paper presents aspects of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Implementation Success Model to guide CSR engagements. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case methodology is used to investigate two CSR companies in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews with managers and stakeholders are conducted. Data triangulation includes reviewing CSR reports and documents, and visiting communities and CSR activities/projects mentioned in the case companies' reports. Grounded theory guides the data analysis and aggregation. Findings: The findings culminate into a " CSR Implementation Success Model. " Key aspects of CSR implementation success are identified as: (i) involvement of stakeholders and management (i.e., co-production) at the start and during every stage of CSR implementation; (ii) management of challenges and conflicts arising within/outside of the company itself; and (iii) feedback management or performance assessment—i.e., accountability via CSR communications and reporting. Stakeholder involvement and feedback management (accountability) are pivotal, though all three must be considered equally. Research limitations: The studied companies were large and well-established mature companies, so it is unclear whether newer companies and small and medium-sized enterprises would produce similar findings. Practical implications: Successful CSR implementation starts with a common but strategic understanding of what CSR means to the company. However, CSR implementation should (i) yield benefits that are tangible, and (ii) have a sustainable development impact because these two aspects form implementation benchmarks. Additionally, top management should be involved in CSR implementation, but with clear reasons and means. Originality/value: This paper unearths a CSR Implementation Success Model that amplifies views of " creating shared value " for sustainable development. It guides organizations towards strategic CSR, as opposed to the responsive CSR (returning profits to society) that largely dominates in developing countries. Additionally, it explains how to add value to the resource envelope lubricating the entire CSR implementation process
Corporate social responsibility Management in Uganda: Lessons, challenges and policy implications
Uganda manage their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and projects. Research design: The investigations focused on a limited number of management facets: motivation for CSR activities, financing, levels of staff involvement, and modes of communication. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the researchers collected data through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. These included semi-structured interviews with managers of selected enterprises, as well as non-participant observation of CSR activities and projects. Findings: The findings show unbalanced engagement in CSR for business managers in Uganda. Managers are largely motivated towards CSR by external factors such as attracting and retaining customers, enhancing reputation and operational efficiencies to achieve competitive advantage, rather than internal factors such as CSR policies, employee welfare and CSR reporting. Another significant finding is that the responsibility to initiate, administer, and monitor CSR activities is largely vested in middle-level managers. These factors pose many challenges to CSR implementation amongst managers in Uganda. Practical implications: We suggest that communications in CSR targeting top-level managers be intensified through print and electronic media. Special training sessions may also be organized by umbrella agencies such as the Private Sector Foundation, Uganda National Chamber of Commerce, etc. The government of Uganda could also integrate CSR in its development policy.
This paper explored the major drivers of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice in Africa. In the process of explaining the nature of CSR it explained the evolutionary trend of CSR through the whole century and also touched on the CSR orientations and a recognized framework for determining the orientations through the four responsibilities or dimensions. The CSR orientations explained the priority accorded to some sets of activities representing the CSR practice of organizations in Africa from different literatures. The paper found out that CSR practice in Africa is determined by philanthropic responsibilities derived from cultural and religious practice in Africa. The practice of CSR as a strategy for achieving profitability, competitiveness, standard compliance, ethical and legal considerations, stakeholder management and engagement and achievement of sustainable development is less emphasized in the African context when compared to the western perspective of CSR practice.