Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an issue in the international banking industry, where each bank must assert its stakeholders, the social fabric and the natural environment. In the same time, legitimacy which has become one of the most critical issues for corporations, can be increased in the eyes of other stakeholders or institutions by structurally or procedurally adjusting to institutional influences. By conforming to three external institutional pressures (normative, mimetic and coercive), identified by DiMaggio and Powell (1983), organizations can build, support and gain legitimacy for their activities in specific institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this research highlights the input of neo-institutional theory in the CSR context in top Lebanese banks in Lebanon. Findings This paper aims to analyze the impact of neo-institutionalism and the role of stakeholders in legitimizing CSR practices in the Lebanese banking sector. Practical implications Top Lebanese banks cannot simply comply with institutional pressures to gain their legitimacy, they need to develop their CSR activities targeted toward legitimacy-building at the local level; as for managers they cannot simply adopt managerial perspectives instrumentally to gain societal support, they need to adapt such perspectives and practices to the local needs as expressed by their internal and external stakeholders. Originality/value Managers of top Lebanese banks need to proactively engage in managing institutional pressures by adopting and adapting legitimacy-seeking strategies. This study highlights that top Lebanese banks differ in their CSR orientation because of their ownership structure, number of employees and profitability.

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Globalization increased calls for corporations to use firms' resources to alleviate a wide variety of social problems taking into consideration that existing governments are unable or unwilling to deal with such problems. In this context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the banking sector became a strategic tool of legitimacy in parallel to the recognition of stakeholders' interests keeping the primacy of shareholders' interests. This article studies CSR in the Lebanese banking sector through Suchman's (1995) legitimacy approach to the shareholders' and stakeholders' debate. Using a qualitative approach, this paper discloses how the banking strategy in terms of CSR could respond to the process of legitimacy within the debate: "creating value for stakeholders creates value for shareholders"; and reveals how normative considerations are likely to modify substantially banks' behavior and practices.

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