Foreword

Most of the discussions about corporate social responsibility and sustainability have historically come from researchers and managers in North America and Western Europe. And examples in academic journal and managerial magazine articles, managerial books, and textbooks are most often of companies with headquarters in the developed economies. But the concerns, activities, and trends are changing rapidly.

In India, The Companies Act of 2013 requires that companies meeting certain standards contribute 2% of their net income to expenditures related to corporate social responsibility. More importantly, it is seen by some as an opportunity to move CSR from philanthropic check writing to strategically integrating social, environmental, and economic issues into the operational and capital investment decisions that are commonly made by all companies. It is an opportunity to more carefully consider the broad social impacts of corporate products, services, processes, and other activities. It is an opportunity to think more carefully about the social impacts of company activities and the role of business in society. It is also an opportunity to more carefully examine the business case for expenditures that effect the broader set of corporate stakeholders.

This spread of CSR activities from developed economies to developing economies is not surprising but is at its early stages. Too little has been written and too few managers and researchers have been engaged in the discussions of both the landscape of corporate social responsibility in developing economies and the rapidly developing research and practices. This volume is an important contribution to moving the field forward. With contributions about issues and programs from throughout Africa, Asia, and South America, Gabriel Eweje has done a masterful job in assembling original articles that discuss the emerging concerns and activities of corporations in different industry sectors and different geographies. He has included chapters that relate to strategy, governance, and implementation.

Researchers and managers in developing countries have a unique opportunity to forge new approaches to CSR that both build on prior work in developed economies and create a better way to integrate concerns for social impacts into management decisions. The developing economies might then be able to effectively address many of the challenges that have hampered the development of the field over the past decades. New models and approaches are evolving and more research, implementation, and analysis in developing countries are important for this evolution.

CSR will evolve rapidly in developing countries over the next decade. This collection provides an important foundation and baseline for future CSR developments.

Marc J. Epstein (PhD)

Distinguished Research Professor of Management

Jones Graduate School of Business

Rice University

Houston, TX, USA