Development of corporate social responsibility framework for developing countries: the case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Purpose of research. The aim of this systematic review is to develop a general framework which is applicable for analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing economies. This framework is further applied to transitional economy such as Kazakhstan.Methodology. This study presents a systematic review of existing CSR literature on developing economies. The study used the content analysis approach and identified the relevant studies by searching the keywords. Based on existing literature, the study developed a general framework which summarizes mostly noted motives and limitations relevant for CSR discussion in the context of developing countries.Originality / value. The most of existing studies aimed on developed countries and limited research is conducted in the context of developing countries that are characterised by weak institutional environment and have different socio-economic factors, compared to their counterparts. The study adds value to existing CSR literature by developing the framework which summarizes motives and limitations of CSR for developing countries.Findings. We identified that most of existing studies have reported the barriers of undertaking CSR research and documented the factors such as corruption, weak stakeholder activism and lack of government controls as main constraints. On the other hand, existing studies reported that religious traditions, historical background, globalization, and government institutional voids are the main drivers of CSR studies. Subsequent application of the framework to Kazakhstan shows that these constraints and motives are also true for the country.