The Case For Corporate Responsibility: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Stakeholder demands and the introduction of the ‘triple bottom line’ as a means of reporting corporate performance, make it critical that South African companies assess why they should undertake corporate responsibility initiatives. This exploratory study (part two of a two-part study) investigated the issues that are being or should be addressed by companies under the banner of corporate responsibility and the reasons for this. The views of a convenience snowball sample of consultants, academics and practitioners of corporate responsibility, was gained by means of a Delphi technique. Content analysis was employed to categorise the views into themes. The findings indicate the need for corporate responsibility action in the areas of ecology, the environment, health and well-being, building human capital and in the encouragement of economic development. Cost benefit and defensive arguments dominate the case for corporate responsibility. There is little indication that organisations have identified the opportunity of corporate responsibility initiatives to increase innovation and organisational learning and its contribution to risk management. Recommendations are made regarding the assessment of investment in this area

Sustainability reporting and assurance

“…2.5). Corporate greed, fraudulent financial reporting, climate change and a growing awareness of corporate social responsibility have placed renewed focus on stakeholders' interests, sustainability and the company as a corporate citizen (Da Piedade and Thomas, 2006; Ernst & Young, 2008a, pp. 1‐2, 2008b, pp.…”

Benefits of Triple Bottom Line Disclosures on Corporate Performance: An Exploratory Study of Corporate Stakeholders

“…Corporate social responsibility emerged in the late 1980s as a label for a philosophy of economic growth in business that values only those gains that can endure into future generations (Casanova, 2010). Grayson andHodges (2001, cited in Da Piedade &Thomas, 2006) point to the interaction of four forces or signposts that make corporate responsibility a mainstream business issue, namely: 1) the development of technology and communications which result in companies 'having no place to hide'; 2) the increased prominence of multinationals globally and the growth in the value and visibility of their brands which make them more susceptible to scrutiny; 3) demographic change and development which encompasses issues such as an ageing population in the developed world, skewed income distribution, limited access to health, education and jobs; and 4) the revolution of values and the decline in deference for institutions. As society began to demand cleaner water, cleaner air, fewer toxins, and the other benefits of environmentally thoughtful stewardship, corporations, however reluctantly, initiated improvements in their environmental behaviour (Hoffman, 2000, cited in Brown et al, 2006.…”

Islamic financing for infrastructure projects and its implementation barriers

“…The interview data were subsequently analyzed using the conceptual content analysis technique whereby the content is coded for certain words, phrases, concepts, meanings or themes. The analyst then makes inferences based on the themes that emerge [39][40][41][42][43]. The recorded data were then transformed to interview minutes.…”