The Mauritian business sector and the fight against poverty: a NGOs' perspective

Purpose - This paper seeks to analyse the contribution of business organisations towards non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in the fight against poverty. Studies generally refer to figures and reports provided by business organisations themselves. This present research, however, aims to turn towards NGOs engaged in the poverty battle to have their views on the role presently being played by the business sector. It aims to study the case of Mauritius, a developing‐economy. Design/methodology/approach - For data‐collection purposes, a research instrument, in the form of a structured interview schedule, has been devised and applied to a representative sample (50 per cent) of the 110 NGOs actively engaged in helping the poor in Mauritius. Data collected provide valuable information with regard to the NGOs' perception of business organisations and their engagement in the poverty battle through CSR initiatives. Findings - From this work, it is clear that the perception of NGOs engaged in the poverty battle is generally negative towards business organisations. The range of CSR initiatives is considered as being poor, and the funding they received from the business sector is considered as being marginal. They are also of the opinion that their on‐the‐ground expertise is not presently being used. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the scarce literature on CSR in Africa by taking a deep insight into the business‐NGO relationship from an innovative angle. It analyses the present situation and identifies steps to be taken for this link to be strengthened so as to be more effective in the poverty battle.