Corporate social responsibility and development: a study of stakeholder perspectives of listed South African companies

Abstract

The issues of poverty and inequality, unemployment and the poor living conditions of employees in communities where local and multinational corporations operate have reemerged on the development agenda as a result of growing labour unrest in South Africa, particularly in the mining sector. This article aims to contribute to the conceptualisation and understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR), including how the philosophy of a developmental state is understood by different stakeholders. A qualitative study was conducted of the CSR initiatives of ten listed national and multinational companies. Interviews were conducted with multiple stakeholders, including the labour force, government, business representatives and community members. The findings suggest that CSR remains an underdeveloped field of enquiry in development studies, underpinned by diverse ideological perspectives among stakeholders regarding its direction and implementation. Despite this situation, an emerging consensus exists that the economic and social goals of companies are interconnected, calling for an integrated approach to CSR. Recommendations are made for rethinking CSR conceptually and strengthening CSR capacity at company level and in academic enquiry.