Examining the public policy perspective of CSR implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the public policy perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. There has been an increase in the number of countries adopting a national policy for CSR practice, particularly in the Western society. Despite the growing awareness about the role of government in CSR promotion, governments in Sub-Saharan Africa are yet to evolve policies that could help promote CSR in the region. As drivers of CSR, governments hold resources, like access to regulated parts of society that makes the inclusion of CSR opportunities relevant to strategic and operational management. From the extant literature, the role of government in defining and shaping the field of CSR is gaining wider acceptability. Design/methodology/approach – Using a qualitative research approach, this paper examines the current status of CSR implementation, particularly from the public policy perspective in selected Sub-Saharan African countries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with policymakers and policy implementers. The study adopted a thematic analysis and developed a rigorous phenomenological design to reveal the insights to CSR policy-making. Findings – The findings established that the status of CSR implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by absence of national CSR policy, CSR being mainstreamed in government constitution and CSR being a company initiative action to comply with international code of business conduct. Practical implications – The results of this study could have policy implications for both executive and MPs of national governments for CSR regulatory policies. Originality/value – In most developing countries, including Sub-Saharan African countries, the aforementioned institutional conditions are often an exception. There are both no legal and regulatory frameworks for Multinational Corporation activities and their socio-ecological impact, or such regulations may exist but are not adequately enforced (Rwabizambuga, 2007). This situation, unfortunately, has created a huge reporting gap between what organisations do and what they report regarding CSR. Hence, this original study adds to the body of knowledge for this region by revealing the central issues around the phenomenon.

Effects of ethical ideologies and perceptions of CSR on consumer behavior

“…Even though not studied in detail, some authors have highlighted the vital role of CSR in fighting poverty and acting reasonably in developing countries (Patacconi & Weisert, 2013;Visser, 2008). Due to the lack of constituencies and institutions providing social goods in general (Samy et al, 2015), CSR seems more important for developing countries than for their richer counterparts (Baughn et al, 2007;Khan et al, 2015). In fact, Lund-Thomsen et al (2016) confirm that the lack of institutionalization of CSR leads to companies in developing countries engaging in socially irresponsible behavior.…”

A review of empirical research on corporate social responsibility in emerging economies

“…External to firms, however, there is limited government support for CSR activities in most emerging economies. Samy et al (2015) report that the implementation of CSR in sub-Saharan Africa is ineffective because of the absence of a comprehensive national policy on CSR. A study conducted in Turkey and Slovenia also indicates that CSR has different meanings.…”

“…In addition, the different interactions of national guidelines, industrial regulation, civil institutions and communities may lead to varied CSR choices and practices. Due to the dearth of literature on CSR in emerging economies, most organisations in these places usually implement CSR practices formulated in developed nations and not contextually relevant CSR initiatives (Abugre, 2014; Samy et al , 2015). In view of this, the literature on CSR could benefit immensely from a shift in focus and preoccupation with Western CSR theories and practices to more culturally and contextually relevant studies that focus on emerging economies.…”

Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme as key sustainable development strategies to promote corporate reputation—evidence from vietnam

“…CSR performance has been more prioritised in developing countries; additionally, the determinants of CSR performance are of interests to many researchers. For example, the CSR determinants are defined as competition (Campbell, 2007;Pistoni et al, 2016), legal environment (Buehler & Shetty, 1974;Samy et al, 2015); managerial perception (Pedersen, 2010;Vlachos et al, 2017) and stakeholder influence (B. I. Kim et al, 2018).…”