Description:
Enterprise development programs recognize 'gender' as a important cross-cutting issue. Strategy to address gender, however , is loosely defined with interpretations varying across agencies. Many such programs consider 'gender' more like an 'annex' rather than effectively addressing gender issues in the project design, with appropriate provisions for gender mainstreaming. In spite of the importance of research on the role of enterprise development initiatives implementing BDS market development approach to facilitating women's entrepreneurship and economic growth, the issue has not been adequately studied. Further, academic research with data from such programs is almost non-existent. This paper makes an attempt to address gender as a cross-cutting issue. It further builds on data of 120 male and female entrepreneurs and business development service providers. The paper argues that addressing genders should oftenbe a matter of 'choice' for impact, outreach and sustainability and not always ' cost effectiveness' of program interventions.
Description:
This paper presents the results of a research investigating the attitudes of businesses towards Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) and the CSR practices in businesses. The paper is based on data collected through in-depth interviews of senior level managers of 11 large businesses operating in Bangaladesh. The findings demonstrates that although businesses are, to a different degree, aware of the concept of CSR and that they have a positive attitude to engage in CSR with an intention to contribute to addressing wider social and community needs; the CSR practices are seldom integrated into business strategies. The findings of the paper have some important implications for businesses and organizations working to promote CSR among businesses in developing countries.
Description:
This paper presents the results of a research investigating the attitudes of businesses towards Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) and the CSR practices in businesses. The paper is based on data collected through in-depth interviews of senior level managers of 11 large businesses operating in Bangaladesh. The findings demonstrates that although businesses are, to a different degree, aware of the concept of CSR and that they have a positive attitude to engage in CSR with an intention to contribute to addressing wider social and community needs; the CSR practices are seldom integrated into business strategies. The findings of the paper have some important implications for businesses and organizations working to promote CSR among businesses in developing countries.
Description:
This paper presents data on corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Bangladesh. Based on interviews with senior managers responsible for CSR, the paper demonstrates that CSR engagement is predominantly guided by the discretionary notion of CSR, rooted in 'giving back to society' principle. Despite the global importance of climate change issue, a crucial issue for Bangladesh too, being environmentally responsible didn't seem as important as one might assume. The paper suggests that proactive consideration of climate change issues; capacity building of stakeholders and their effective participation in CSR and integration of CSR in business process may only make a fundamental and sustainable impact, which is hard to achieve following the current approach.
Description:
The recognition that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important for business sustainability has focused the bulk of research on explicit normative arguments for its adoption by large corporations. This ignores the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the investigation of how such firms actually perform CSR activities. This study begins with the premise that SMEs may design appropriate CSR strategies to address issues in local communities. SMEs operate within these communities and subsequently are more aware of community and environmental issues than their larger counterparts. From this emerges the aim of examining the reality of this proposition from the particular perspective of a regional city in Australia. The results show a gap between normative CSR proposals and the actual operation of CSR processes in this cohort of SMEs in a regional community. What is exposed is the complexity of CSR ‘on the ground at the business frontline’.
Description:
The recognition that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important for business sustainability has focused the bulk of research on explicit normative arguments for its adoption by large corporations. This ignores the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the investigation of how such firms actually perform CSR activities. This study begins with the premise that SMEs may design appropriate CSR strategies to address issues in local communities. SMEs operate within these communities and subsequently are more aware of community and environmental issues than their larger counterparts. From this emerges the aim of examining the reality of this proposition from the particular perspective of a regional city in Australia. The results show a gap between normative CSR proposals and the actual operation of CSR processes in this cohort of SMEs in a regional community. What is exposed is the complexity of CSR ‘on the ground at the business frontline’.
Description:
The OECD Principles of Corporate Governance embed an emphasis on independent directors as a mechanism for encouraging broad expertise, experience and diversity on boards. This principle has become de rigueur for large public companies in many developed economies, including Australia although tending to be reflected in listing requirements rather than in law, and leaving it to the companies to determine whether appointees meet the criteria of independence. Emerging economies have been less likely to adopt such requirements but it is now apparent that at least some are moving to do so. Research suggests that unlike developed countries, there is an insignificant relationship between independent directors and financial performance of large businesses in developing countries such as Bangladesh. This raises interesting questions: do the differences in performance reflect differences in understanding and expectations of the role, appointment and participation of such directors? This paper is an attempt to explore and answer these questions via a comparison between the Australian and Bangladeshi approaches. Findings in both locations are inconsistent and, it appears, requirements and guidelines for independent directors' appointment tend to be in reaction to specific issues and ideologies.
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:
Despite the progress of the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in recent decades, the knowledge of CSR has been very limited in hospitality and tourism industry in general and in hotel industry in particular. A literature search revealed that scholarly research in the area of CSR in hotel industry began in mid-2000 and it has grown in recent years. However, there has been no review of literature conducted covering CSR issues exclusively in hotel industry. Given the growth of publications in CSR research in hotel industry, it was felt that a content analysis of research would be valuable to scholarship. The present study aims to contribute to this end by presenting a review of articles published in scholarly journals until mid-2017. The findings suggest that the initial focus of CSR research in hotel industry was in the area of CSR practices (economic, social and environmental), impact and importance of CSR, perceptions of CSR by consumers and managers. Interestingly, with the growth of research in recent years, the focus has shifted more towards CSR communication/reporting, green/environmental responsibility and sustainability area. This paper is perhaps the first content analysis of CSR research in hotel industry—an industry that is often blamed for irresponsible use of environmental resources and hence responsible for environmental un-sustainability. It is envisaged that this paper will stimulate further research into CSR in hotel industry and therefore to contribute to advance the field.
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
Description:
Evidence shows the understanding of green marketing and corporate green decision-making in China is still underdeveloped. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perception, motivation and marketing practices of a large joint-operated cashmere firm in the textile industry. Both Chinese domestic factors and international economic trends have contributed to the rapid restructuring of the Chinese cashmere industry into a highly dynamic, flexible and international openness towards green development. Drawing on the literature on firms’ motivations to go green and characteristics of firms which induce green initiatives, this paper selected a large hybrid mixture of ownership and corporate governance state-owned cashmere producer as basis for a case study. This study illustrates the central role of the top management team as the firm operator within the jointly owned state-owned firm and the influence of firm’s past history and value in their green initiatives. While findings from this case have confirmed some of the literature on green motivation, they also exposed the reform of state-owned firms’ ownership and governance for the firm contributes to more effective management and more efficient operations pursuing cost saving and profit-making, more responsiveness to market demand and in turn to increase the resource utilization efficiency and environmental performance. This research has hence provided new insights and policy implication for a successful transition towards a market economy in China with firms that are both economically strong and also socially and ecologically sustainable.
Description:
This empirical research examines the relationship between corporate social performance outcome (CSPO) and corporate financial performance outcome (CFPO) in 85 Australian corporations as perceived by their managers. The correlation analysis of the data shows a positive, but low magnitude relationship between CSPO and CFPO. Based on our finding, we argue that the notion of enlightened self-interest is defunct and recommend stringent government policies and increased community pressure for making corporations more socially responsible.
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.