Managing Corporate Social Responsibility : A Multiple Case Study

Abstract

Over the recent past the subject of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been given growing attention by academics and practitioners. This has contributed to strategic challenges as the corporate world becomes more globalised. CSR has proved to be standard as a management technique, formalized, incorporated, and widely assimilated into organizational frameworks, policies, and procedures. In this multiple case study research on two mining companies in Zambia, CSR knowledge management is studied to explore how organizations can bring this knowledge into action to improve their competitiveness. Information for this study was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with people involved and knowledgeable about CSR in the two companies. The research question was answered by applying a within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. The findings show that internal and external organizational factors, such as, stakeholder engagement, employee involvement, HRM practices, CSR communication and organizational culture are decisive factors that bridge the gap between knowledge management and CSR. The study confirms that CSR activities are a variable resource that needs to be managed well to achieve the company’s competitive advantage. The study background is Zambia, thus, when applying the findings to other cultural and geographical settings, limitations may exist. This thesis offers valuable information on the practical application of CSR knowledge management in the mining sector. A significant part of the literature in the area of strategic management has previously been studied as independent research on subjects such as CSR and knowledge management. This study provides a new insight into the relationship between CSR knowledge management and competitive advantage.