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Reversing the lens: Why corporate social responsibility is not community development

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  • Sharon McLennan
  • Glenn Banks

Abstract

Corporate activities have impacts on different groups across societies, and businesses therefore have different sets of responsibilities to these groups. These are increasingly being addressed through corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate community development (CCD) initiatives, and there is now a wide body of literature that highlights the value of CSR for business. However, less attention has been paid to understanding the impacts of these activities from the perspective of communities. This paper “reverses the lens” to explore these community perspectives. We argue that communities see and evaluate CSR/CCD in terms of the broader immanent effects of the corporate presence rather than simply the intentional CSR programs and prioritize relationships over material outcomes. We outline an agenda for corporations that begins with the realization that core business practices can impact profoundly on long‐term community development and that effective contributions require corporations to “embrace chaos” and to develop the types of relationships that foreground community goals and priorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sharon McLennan & Glenn Banks, 2019. "Reversing the lens: Why corporate social responsibility is not community development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 117-126, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:26:y:2019:i:1:p:117-126
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Stephen T. Homer, 2022. "Perceived corporate citizenship: a scale development and validation study adopting a bottom-up approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1435-1461, June.
    3. Enciso Alfaro, Saudi Yulieth & Ruiz Acosta, Liliana Elizabeth Ruiz & Mayorga, David Andrés Camargo, 2020. "Responsabilidad social empresarial como determinante de la intención de compra del consumidor: un análisis mediante modelamiento con ecuaciones estructurales," Revista Tendencias, Universidad de Narino, vol. 21(2), pages 1-18, July.
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    5. Stephen T. Homer & Koon Vui Yee & Kuan Siew Khor, 2023. "Developing a measurement instrument for perceived Corporate citizenship using multi-stakeholder, multi-industry and cross-country validations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 277-300, February.
    6. Appel Mahmud & Donghong Ding & Md. Morshadul Hasan, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Business Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440209, January.
    7. Delina, Laurence L., 2021. "Topographies of coal mining dissent: Power, politics, and protests in southern Philippines," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    8. Ibrahim Sameer, 2021. "Impact of corporate social responsibility on organization’s financial performance: evidence from Maldives public limited companies," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, December.
    9. Hughes, Emma & Scheyvens, Regina, 2021. "Tourism partnerships: Harnessing tourist compassion to ‘do good’ through community development in Fiji," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).

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