How should civil society (and the government) respond to 'corporate social responsibility'? A critique of business motivations and the potential for partnerships

In theory, corporate social responsibility (CSR) considers private companies as potentially important development agents, particularly in partnership with the government and civil society groups. Following on the first article by Hamann in this issue, which considered the business perspective, this article considers how civil society should respond to the CSR and partnership concepts, with reference to the South African context. Firstly, a critical view of CSR emphasises the need to consider underlying motivations for business to embrace and perpetuate the CSR concept. These may relate to accommodation - the implementation of cosmetic changes to business practice in order to preclude bigger changes - and legitimisation - the influence by business over popular and policy-related discourse in order to define what questions may be asked and what answers are feasible. The second part of the article describes important benefits of the CSR concept for civil society groups, in terms of increased power and rights and hence better negotiating positions. This, however, requires that non-governmental organisations and others proactively engage in shaping the CSR debates, by insisting, inter alia, that CSR be underpinned by corporate accountability. Finally, the article argues that partnerships with business can indeed be beneficial to civil society groups, but that a critical position needs to be maintained within this cooperative approach, namely 'critical cooperation'. Such partnerships will require the strategic use of power-, rights- and interest-based negotiation. Following a brief overview of some recent South African experiences in the mining and chemicals sectors, the article concludes by pointing out the important role of the government in facilitating fair and effective partnerships.     

Partnership building as an approach to addressing corporate social responsibility in the agriculture sector in Malawi

A key factor in improving Malawi's trade and economic growth will be how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provides a platform for stakeholders to come together to manage Malawi's supply and value chains so as to also improve livelihoods, in particular in the agriculture sector, the most prominent in the country. This article analyses what motivates businesses in the Malawian agriculture sector to implement CSR, and how companies and other stakeholders give shape and substance to their partnerships. It examines three case studies that reflect the types of CSR partnerships that have emerged within the sector. These highlight the transition from issue-specific partnerships to ones established to address the underlying business case for CSR to promote competitive advantage and innovation in companies' core business strategies. The article concludes that the new models of partnership emerging in Malawi are indicative of the next generation of partnership development in Africa and elsewhere.     

Corporate social responsibility,mining and sustainable development in Namibia: Critical reflections through a relational lens

For its advocates, corporate social responsibility (CSR) represents a powerful tool through which business and particularly multinationals can play a more direct role in global sustainable development. For its critics, however, CSR rarely goes beyond business as usual, and is often a cover for business practices with negative implications for communities and the environment. This paper explores the relationship between CSR and sustainable development in the context of mining in Namibia. Drawing upon extant literatures on the geographies of responsibility, and referencing in-country empirical case-study research, a critical relational lens is applied to consider their interaction both historically and in the present.     

Between responsibility and rhetoric: some consequences of CSR practice in Nigeria's oil province

This article brings together some of the findings of a three-year study of the community dimensions of upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, Africa's largest oil exporter. It examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of transnational petroleum-producing companies, focusing on the immediate and long-term ethnographic and social consequences of such practices on the local communities where oil extraction takes place. The article examines, more importantly, how such practices and the identified consequences intersect with the regulatory/institutional framework governing upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria. By shifting attention away from the dominant, ethnic view of conflict and instability in the country of study, and looking at specific instances of ethnographic and social crisis associated with corporate social responsibility, the article offers some insights into some present-day challenges to sustainable development in Africa, and unveils an important present-day mechanism through which the image of resource-rich African countries as strife-torn is entrenched.     

The JSE socially responsible investment index and the state of sustainability reporting in South Africa

The JSE Limited (JSE) in South Africa is the first bourse in an emerging market to develop a sustainability index for its top 160 listed companies. This article provides an overview of the Index methodology and uses the first and second rounds of the Index to assess the state of sustainability reporting among participating companies. It describes general trends related to priority issues in companies' reports, the extent and manner of reporting, and which kinds of companies are emerging as leaders in reporting. More detailed patterns of reporting are considered with respect to the four key categories in the Index: corporate governance, society, economy and environment. The article also considers the role of the Index in terms of the nascent socially responsible investment (SRI) movement in South Africa. It argues that a number of challenges need to be met in order to enhance the impact of the Index and of SRI on corporate behaviour in South Africa and Africa.     

Taxation in the Tanzanian gold sector: Overview of impacts and possible solutions

This paper analyses the factors that reduce the gold sector's contribution to the Tanzanian government's revenue. Tanzania is among Africa's largest gold exporters. Yet ordinary Tanzanians have seen little benefit from this. This is partly because the government has enacted tax laws that are, as we shall see, overly favourable to multinational mining companies, and partly because of the same companies' business practices. Critics argue that the government fails to capture a substantial amount of state revenue as a result of low royalty rates, unpaid corporate taxes and tax evasion by major gold mine operators. This paper argues that the Tanzanian government should try to increase its share of revenues by taxation based on revenues, increasing its auditing skills and its involvement in mining, as well as by increasing the transparency of contracts and limiting the discretionary power of policy-makers in negotiating contracts.     

Towards collective business action and cross-sector collaboration in responsible competitiveness clusters in southern Africa

Responsible competitiveness clusters are cross-sector collaboration initiatives focused on identifying and acting upon synergies between sustainable development and economic competitiveness objectives. By means of three case studies in southern Africa this paper investigates the incentives, opportunities and challenges encountered in the emergence of such clusters. The first case study focuses on a regional response to the development challenges encountered in a South African mining area, the second describes efforts to make the Malawian agriculture sector more inclusive and competitive and the third discusses options for enhancing the competitiveness of the Lesotho textile sector. The paper concludes with a discussion of the role of international trade networks, the institutional framework, public sector support and internal governance processes as key factors influencing the initial level of success of these initiatives.     

利益相关者·公司社会责任·双向信息交流战略

随着利益相关者社会责任意识的提高,他们的决策行为已经在相当大的程度上影响了公司的可持续发展。我国公司目前仍然停留在向利益相关者不完全披露社会责任信息的单方向传输,缺乏与利益相关者之间双向互动的信息交流,无法实现公司与利益相关者之间的双赢目标。文章从公司可持续发展的角度,通过对公司利益相关者从对公司社会责任信息反应的行为可预测性及其对公司经营的影响程度两个维度构建分类矩阵,并针对矩阵中不同地位的利益相关者提出构建双向公司社会责任信息交流的战略模型。     

International perspectives on tourism‐led development: some lessons for the SDIs

The concept of tourism‐led socio‐economic development is neither new nor peculiar to South Africa. This study draws on the international experience of the Malindi‐Mombasa coastal development corridor in Kenya, the Goa Coast of India, the Kulu Valley and Bhutan in the Himalayas, the Gambia, Dominica, Belize and the Maldives. It assesses the results achieved in these tourism programmes against the strategic objectives of those South African SDIs that place a heavy emphasis on the country's tourism potential. The SDIs, as described elsewhere in this collection, represent a new paradigm adopted by the South African government, aimed at moving away from a protected and isolated approach to economic development, towards one in which international competitiveness, regional cooperation and a more diversified ownership base are paramount. The key objectives of the tourism‐led development corridors, including the Wild Coast and Lubombo SDIs, are to generate sustainable economic growth and development; generate sustainable long‐term employment creation; maximise the extent to which private sector investment and lending can be mobilised into the process; change the ownership base of the industry so that people previously excluded from the mainstream of the economy by discriminatory practices can play a meaningful role as workers, managers and owners of new tourism enterprises; and to exploit the opportunities that arise from new tourism and ecotourism developments for the creation of upstream and downstream business opportunities, especially small businesses owned by previously marginalised groups.     

基于地缘关系的高管搭档稳定性研究

高管搭档稳定性影响公司持续经营、战略与绩效稳定，但其是否受文化因素，如地缘关系影响却缺乏研究。利用手工收集的高管同乡关系数据，基于同乡所代表的地缘文化背景和制度环境、社会认同理论，剖析董事长与CEO同乡关系对双方合作关系的影响机理，以2007—2016年沪深A股上市公司实证检验了同乡关系对双方搭档稳定性的影响。研究发现董事长与CEO同乡关系能显著提升其搭档稳定性，且由同省到同县提升效果递增。机制检验发现，同乡关系通过降低代理成本提高了搭档稳定性。与此一致，情境检验发现，当双方代理问题更严重，如内部控制质量较差时同乡关系对搭档稳定性的提升作用更显著。据此提出重视地缘关系等传统文化影响，通过稳定内部关系对冲外部环境不确定性的策略建议。     

“Post‐Truth,” “Alternative Facts” and “Fakenomics”

South African companies are accused of hoarding profits to accumulate large amounts of “idle” cash, as well as of being the perpetrators of massive illegal capital flight. This paper argues that much of the claimed corporate cash is either offshore or belongs to banks. It reminds that bank deposits increase when companies borrow, not when they retain profits. It shows, too, that measures of massive capital flight actually reflect data errors. Exaggerating, through faulty methodology the extent to which companies have cash or may be involved in illegal capital flight is unhelpful. It exacerbates already‐fraught government‐business relations, and complicates the search for solutions to South Africa's economic problems.     

Perceptions of informal safety nets: A case study from a South African informal settlement

The relevance and importance of informal safety nets that buffer poor households from livelihood hardships have been given little attention in South Africa's development programmes to date. This article contributes to the understanding of informal safety nets by investigating local perceptions in a South African informal settlement. The main findings of the study are that families perform an important safety net function, but that these sources of assistance can be susceptible to social isolation. Immediate neighbours and friends also play an important safety net role, but these reciprocal-based sources of assistance may be difficult to secure. Community-wide threats can have a severe impact on people's ability to engage in safety net transfers. Many of these difficulties stem from South Africa's structural unemployment crisis. This factor is the greatest danger to the future of the informal safety net system in the informal settlement.     

Making tourism work for the poor: Strategies and challenges in southern Africa

This article analyses strategies for 'pro-poor tourism' (PPT), ie strategies that increase the benefits to poor people from tourism development. Based on an international review of six pro-poor tourism case studies, it outlines the wide range of pro-poor tourism strategies used and their impacts to date, with particular focus on southern African case studies. By analysing their progress, problems and the critical factors influencing them, the article identifies implications for the way forward. This review underpins four propositions. First, despite commercial constraints, much can be done to enhance the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction, and a 'PPT' perspective assists in this endeavour. Secondly, PPT strategies can, and should be, incorporated by all actors in tourism, whether in government or business, at local or policy level. Thirdly, a wide range of impacts on poor people, going well beyond jobs, need to be recognised and enhanced. Finally, PPT strategies are difficult, but particularly relevant in southern Africa given the challenges of economic and political transformation, as well as the opportunity to influence international discussions on 'sustainable tourism' at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.     

中国企业社会责任测量维度识别与评价——基于因子分析法

在与企业家深度访谈的基础上,文章采用因子分析法开发了一组用于界定中国企业社会责任的测量维度,构成为4种履责动机、5条履责特征以及11款与利益相关者有关的条目等三个大类共20个测量变量。这一结果反映了企业界对承担社会责任的期待和评价标准,为研究人员提供了一个测评企业履行社会责任程度和水平的工具,并基于交通运输行业进行了信度和效度的检验和评价,以保证研究结果对其他行业具有普遍适用性。     

Renewable energy and local development: Seven lessons from the mining industry

Having long depended on fossil fuels for energy generation, South Africa is now investing in renewable energy. Like its mining operations, its renewable energy plants will have local implications. Renewable energy companies are therefore required by government to engage with communities to contribute to socio-economic development. We present seven lessons we believe the renewable energy sector can learn from the mining industry. We argue that the new industry must: manage social disruption, understand community complexities, create responsive institutions and the capacity to support industry practice, employ trained community practitioners, be clear about the aims of local development, encourage economic diversification in remote areas and, importantly, in view of problems caused by downscaling in the mining industry, plan for the possible closure of projects. Renewable energy projects could then serve and shape local development.     

SOUTH AFRICA AND THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT: ECONOMIC SPIN-OFFS AND LINKAGES

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is a concerted effort by Africa's political leaders to develop a comprehensive and integrated strategic policy framework to raise current levels of socio‐economic development and reduce high levels of poverty across the African continent. The NEPAD framework recognises the need for African countries to pool their resources together in order to enhance regional development and economic integration. To this end, NEPAD emphasises capacity building and also seeks to solicit and disburse funds towards infrastructural development programmes and poverty alleviation projects, among others. South Africa's involvement with the rest of Africa has increased significantly since 1994. Trade exports, foreign direct investment (both market and resource‐seeking in nature) and public‐private partnerships have mushroomed in many parts of the continent. Many South African firms are providing the financial impetus for the infrastructural development and rehabilitation of African economies. This paper discusses salient economic linkages between South Africa and the rest of Africa within the framework of NEPAD. South Africa is the economic hub of sub‐Saharan Africa (and indeed of the African continent), with significant agricultural, manufacturing and services capacity. South African firms have invested in the development of a number of sectors in the rest of Africa, taking advantage of the new investment incentives offered by the NEPAD framework. The target sectors range from mining, the hospitality industry, engineering and construction, finance to telecommunications. These investments and economic involvements are crucial to the development of African countries and the relevant sectors that are important for the realisation of some of the objectives of NEPAD.     

Tourism,business linkages and small enterprise development in South Africa

Although considerable attention is given to the prospects for developing small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa's tourism economy, very little relevant research has been undertaken in this regard. In this article, the findings are presented from over 60 detailed interviews conducted with key enterprises and entrepreneurs involved in tourism, outsourcing and small enterprise development in South Africa. The aim is to examine opportunities for outsourcing and business linkage development in South Africa's tourism economy, and to investigate the difficulties that confront the tourism SMME economy through examining the status of business linkages between large tourism enterprises and SMMEs in South Africa. The South African research is located within the context of existing works on tourism and small enterprise development in developing countries.     

MNCs and Sustainable Business Practice: The Case of the Colombian and Peruvian Petroleum Industries

Multinational corporations (MNCs) play an increasingly important role in the economic development strategies of many less developed countries (LDCs). At the same time the sustainable development of LDCs requires economic growth to be accompanied by environmental protection and greater social equity. This paper contributes to the literature concerned with MNCs' contribution to the sustainable development of LDCs. The concept of sustainable business practice (SBP) is proposed as relevant to understanding MNCs' contribution, and an analytical framework incorporating the content, context, and process of SBP is used to examine what SBP might consist of, as well as those conditions important for its widespread adoption. Results from a study examining the Colombian and Peruvian petroleum industries show that despite important contributions by MNCs to sustainable development, SBP is not yet widespread. The study also shows the importance of external institutional pressures—principally in the form of local legislation—for MNCs' contribution to the sustainable development of LDCs. Finally the paper shows how the process of change toward more SBP is closely linked to the external context in which MNCs operate, the characteristics of their internal context, and the internal and external processes linking these contexts.     

Local economic development by community business

The contribution of community business to local economic development is being increasingly recognised. In Scotland's largest Region, Strathclyde, there are already 35 community businesses trading. The companies - community owned, community controlled and non-profit distributing - are almost exclusively based in 'deprived' areas. Glen Buchanan looks at the background of deteriorating employment opportunities against which community businesses have emerged, outlines the characteristics of community business, analyses their role as an agent for local economic development, and appraises the work of Strathclyde Community Business Ltd, the UK's largest community business development agency.     

What Drives Investor Response to CSR Performance Reports?

Recent research finds that investors' assessments of a stock's fundamental value are influenced by corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance through the affect-as-information heuristic. We extend prior research by examining two boundary conditions for the use of this heuristic: (i) whether the CSR performance relates to activities that are integrated in a firm's core business practices (material CSR issues) or not (immaterial CSR issues), and (ii) whether the CSR performance is positive or negative. Employing an experimental method, we find that the affect-as-information heuristic applies only to immaterial CSR issues but not to material CSR issues, and only to positive but not negative CSR performance. Our findings suggest that investors likely use a heuristic approach to process immaterial and positive CSR issues, and a more deliberate and systematic approach to process material or negative CSR issues. Our study has both practical and theoretical implications.