Description:
This paper, based on data from thirty-two large businesses in Bangladesh, investigates if the various efforts taken to promote CSR have had any impact on local businesses' attitudes towards CSR and if those efforts have been able to change their perceptions as to the important considerations of CSR practices which could meaningfully contribute to sustainable development. The study confirms that businesses have a positive attitude towards CSR which has improved quite considerably in recent years. Philanthropic and charitable contributions seem to be the most important determinants of CSR while environmental performance is thought to be the least important determinant, as revealed by perception data. Although philanthropy certainly has a role in developing countries, this paper emphasizes on the need to revisit strategies and intervention to promote CSR so that they are able to generate interest among businesses to consider other CSR initiatives, along with philanthropy-based CSR, that could meaningfully contribute to sustainable development.
Description:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes and perceptions of senior managers in Bangladesh with regard to corporate social responsibility (CSR), focusing on the impact of CSR promotional programmes in fostering an affirmative view of sustainable development. This issue has special significance in a country that is one of the fastest growing economies in south Asia and also particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of 32 managers of large enterprises operating in a variety of industries. Findings – The positive attitudes observed suggest that various programmes adopted to promote CSR have had some effect. However, sustainable development and environmental issues tend to remain on the periphery of managers’ understandings and perceptions of CSR. Research limitations/implications – This study aids understanding of how business managers may respond to CSR promotional campaigns. Further studies in other comparable countries, and in other settings where CSR is poorly established, are encouraged in order to provide more comprehensive insights and overcome the limited sample size of the current study. Practical implications – While insights to how the managers of local enterprises can be persuaded to become more effectively engaged in CSR are provided, a need to foster a more comprehensive notion of CSR is also identified. Originality/value – As well as contributing to redressing the strong bias towards developed country settings in CSR research, this research is novel in exploring how CSR promotional efforts may influence the attitudes and perceptions of managers.
Description:
Shows both the diversity and the coherence in the way social responsibility, corporate responsibility, sustainability, and governance inter-relate Offers a truly global perspective on the integrated concepts of sustainability, governance and social responsibility Links the theory of corporate social responsibility back to the domain of real-world business situations