Corporate Social Responsibility of Foreign MNCs in Mexico During the COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caught the world by surprise. Suddenly, people, as well as organizations, needed to adapt to a new reality of work from home, work–life balance, e-leadership, extreme hygiene, and social distancing. Companies had to find new ways to operate, and areas such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) had to react to face the stakeholders' needs. In addition, developing countries had been in a fragile position, as this crisis has deteriorated already weak economic, political, and social conditions. In Mexico, CSR has traditionally assisted on urgent matters such as poverty, hunger, education, work, and other issues that have also been considered in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this chapter is to describe and analyze CSR response to the COVID-19 crisis of large foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) in Mexico, especially in relation to the SDG agenda. First, we provide a general background of the initial condition, that is, Mexico's situation when the pandemic arose, as well as common attributes of prepandemic CSR in Mexico. Then, we examine the government's response to the crisis. Afterward, we observe and analyze large foreign MNCs' CSR disclosed activities to face the emergency. Main findings imply that companies switched their usual CSR attention from socioeconomical, institutional, and sustainability goals to primary needs. Lastly, we make recommendations on the future of CSR and the SDG in the so-called “new normal.”

Citation

Cabrera-Rubio, A. and Salazar-Cantú, J. (2022), "Corporate Social Responsibility of Foreign MNCs in Mexico During the COVID-19 Crisis", Berrones-Flemmig, C.N., Contreras, F. and Dornberger, U. (Ed.) Business in the 21st Century, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 11-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-787-220221002