Exploring corporate responsibility in Oman – social expectations and practice

Purpose - This paper aims to explore social expectations and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Oman. Design/methodology/approach - In total, 153 respondents (45 per cent Omanis and 55 per cent expatriates) shared their expectations which were compared with documentary evidence from core large and medium‐sized enterprises' CSR practice in Oman. Findings - On average, CSR mean scores exhibited similarity for most respondent groups except for Omanis, young people, and those with high school or lower education who scored less, indicating a general lack of awareness of CSR. Society in Oman seems to expect corporations to provide “safe and reliable products/services”, “appropriately treat employees”, “behave ethically”, and be “committed to social responsibility”. Research limitations/implications - While there is limited generalizability of the findings of this exploratory studyper sedue to sample size limitations, a clear pattern emerges to facilitate more in‐depth studies on CSR in Oman, and furthermore in other emerging market economies and transitional economies. Practical implications - The study demonstrates a need for additional research into CSR awareness, philosophy and practice in the small and medium enterprise sectors, and other industry sectors. Originality/value - The paper presents findings from an exploratory empirical study investigating social expectations of CSR in Oman, and highlights the practice of CSR in Oman. It also compares these findings and other studies' on the philosophy, nature and practice of CSR in emerging market and transitional economies.