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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Website Reporting: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa’s Top-Ranked Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Rahenul Islam

    (Halmstad University)

  • Md Mahbubur Rahman

    (Halmstad University)

  • Sandra-Sofie Persson

    (Halmstad University)

  • Vasundara Koppu

    (Halmstad University)

  • Gideon Jojo Amos

    (Halmstad University)

  • Jonathan Banahene

    (London School of Science and Technology, United Kingdom)

Abstract

This study aims to examine how Sub-Saharan Africa top ranked companies themselves convey their role as social-economic development partners and/or agents in their corporate communications, and to what extent country- and industry-specific characteristics influence their reporting, i.e., via CSR websites reporting. Using Forbes 2,000 world-largest-corporations ranking, based on 2017 ranking list, we select the largest corporations. We then filter our search to select Africa-largest-corporations. A content analysis of the CSR reports and/or Websites of the sample companies was conducted to identify the motives for CSR practices, CSR managerial processes and stakeholder issues addressed in CSR reporting. Several of the motives underlying CSR practice, CSR managerial processes, and stakeholder issues addressed in CSR reporting appear to converge around similar themes (or issues), given that all three sample companies operate in the financial services industry within the specificities of South Africa’s context. The findings suggest that the specificities of South Africa’s historical development and/or socio-cultural realities, legislation and industry charters are important factors that influence CSR (or sustainability) practices in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. Although, studies that mainly focus on the contents of corporate website are uncommon, this study has limitations as we solely relied on publicly accessible CSR reporting, rather than, for example, interviewing employees, customers (or clients) and/or regulators to verify the claims by the sample companies. As this study examines CSR website reporting practices by organisations, it provides a useful insight for competitor benchmarking that can be used by organisations to improve their CSR website reporting practices. This study contributes to extant CSR research as its provides empirical evidence of the contextuality of CSR in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as explores how country- and industry-specific characteristics may influence CSR website reporting.

Suggested Citation

  • Rahenul Islam & Md Mahbubur Rahman & Sandra-Sofie Persson & Vasundara Koppu & Gideon Jojo Amos & Jonathan Banahene, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Website Reporting: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa’s Top-Ranked Companies," International Journal of Business and Management (IJBM), International Emerging Scholars Society (IESS), New Zealand, vol. 3(1), pages 41-64, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwd:ijbmnz:v:3:y:2024:i:1:p:41-64
    DOI: 10.56879/ijbm.v3i1.32
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    References listed on IDEAS

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