Is corporate social responsibility the privilege of developed market economies? Some evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

(un facteur d'impact)ACLDeveloped market economies show a growing interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), attested by the sizeable theoretical and empirical literature on this issue. There is, however, less evidence of its existence in other geographical areas. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework for the study of this phenomenon in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). This will be followed by an analysis of qualitative data obtained during semi-structured interviews with the representatives of 19 companies operating in four CEEC (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria). The paper concludes that CSR should not be considered as the privilege of developed market economies, since a variety of responsible practices do exist in CEEC organizations. However, the study of their specificity appears to be more complex than an approach in terms either of a transposition of models or of legacy would lead us to believe. An evolutionary approach to institutions allows us to consider that the analysis of the CSR forms in the context of transition economies should take into account interactions between elements dependent on the past as well as imported standards and practices which have themselves been subject to change

Corporate Social-Environmental Performance versus Financial Performance of Banks in Central and Eastern European Countries

“…CEEC are desirous of transforming their economy and business practices marked by the inheritance of socialism in order to join the developed market democracies [63]; 4.…”

Both Sides of CSR Practice: A Case from Oil and Gas Industry in Kazakhstan

“…"-question has been proposed by Koleva and her co-authors [23]. The answer is evidently: it is not a privilege of dedicated developed countries and there is less evidence of its existence in other geographical areas.…”

“…The convergent features of CSR in these countries have partly been explainable by post-socialist traditions. Different levels of interaction of actors produces very different CSR models, like hierarchical, participative, minimalist, endogenous, exogenous or hybrid [23]. The old general rule of management studies, "no one best way", is succeeding in this respect, too.…”

Social Reponsibility Attitudes and Practices of Companies: Hungary vs. Romania Crossborder Comparison

“…Economic development seems to be positively correlated with SR att itudes and practices of companies (Welford, 2005). On the other hand, norms regarding performance, the concern for the environment or for the welfare of fellow members of the community are varying across countries However, there are still few comparative researches about SR in Central and Eastern Europe -mainly because SR has not became institutionalized in the area (Csáfor, 2008;Koleva et al, 2010) which is refl ected in the low incidence of policy initiatives related to corporate social responsibility in Central and Eastern Europe (Steurer, Martinuzzi and Margula, 2012). Comparing the older members of the EU with the newer ones, Line and Braun (2007) found variations that they att ributed to diff erences in economic development, to legacies of communism, to peculiarities of functioning of governments as well as to the underdevelopment of NGOs that could promote SR as well as to the lack of awareness on behalf of the public.…”

“…Among the features of SR in the region the survey has found: the predominance of economic planning without regard for the community or the environment, and of improvised philanthropic activities as forms of SR, the disregard for unions and voluntary work, the use of SR mainly for marketing and public relations, rare publication of SR reports by companies and weak demand for SR practices on behalf of the public (Csáfor, 2008). In addition, Koleva et al (2010), highlight the importance of multinational corporations for the diff usion of SR practices in the area.…”