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CSR is seen as a constant source of debate in the research of company laws and has attracted wide attention from scholars. It is at the forefront of strategic outlook of contemporary organisations of all kinds. It is associated with the conduct of corporations and whether corporations owe a duty to stakeholders other than shareholders has been debated at various times. The CSR concept itself is not a new one and the social responsibilities of business in a market society has been discussed for decades, long before globalisation became a catchword. However, globalisation has been seen as a new phenomenon that affects our everyday life and the business life. New social networks with mutual dependences are created, thus leading to emerging new responsibilities. Community, work and capital are losing their home and locus and we are confronted with different cultures and life styles, whereas society is pluralised and common traditions, cultural values and social certainties emerge into a melting pot of various values and life styles.

Rethinking development along the lines of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a new and exciting area of research and development practice. Newly emerging forms of global governance are now relying on private actors (business, non governmental organizations (NGOs)) rather than states. Therefore, CSR policy and programmes are necessary steps in securing responsible corporate behaviour in support of development. The objectives of this paper are to identify the areas of interventions for CSR activities and examine the rationale behind the CSR activities in Mauritius. It aims to analyse the relation between business and poverty reduction and also the successes and failures of CSR initiatives and how the programmes are delivering to the company's business objectives. In short, how is CSR redefining development?

Both primary and secondary data have been collected for this study. Qualitative methods of data collection were privileged to address complex issues such as the relationship between CSR and development. In‐depth interviews were carried out and seen as an appropriate research technique in order to explore and capture the perspectives of the stakeholders, namely private sector and the NGOs on CSR. Secondary sources in the form of company publications, annual reports, press cuttings, web sites of companies and survey reports were consulted.

Although CSR initiatives go quite a long way back in Mauritius, it is still believed that CSR is not embedded in its corporate culture. However, in some cases, CSR is merely being used as window‐dressing, for the gallery as a sideshow since it is a trendy issue and that everyone is doing it alongside with the wide media coverage. For CSR to become the national development tool, it is important that coordinated and concerted efforts be undertaken at the private sector level, in the civil society and at government level in achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development.

This work contributes to the scarce literature on CSR in Mauritius as well as in the African continent, investigating the relationship between CSR and development in the Mauritian context. It also provides an extensive and critical literature review on CSR and CSR activities in Mauritius.

Güler Aras (www.guleraras.com) is professor of finance and dean of the faculty of economic and administrative sciences at Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey. She is also visiting professor at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. Her research is into financial economy and financial markets with particular emphasis on the relationship between corporate social responsibility, sustainability and a firm's financial performance. Güler has published more than 15 books and has contributed over 150 articles to academic, business and professional journals and magazines and to edited book collections. One of the most recent books (2009) is The Durable Corporation: Strategies for Sustainable Development (with David Crowther), which addresses the topical issue of the sustainability of corporate activity. Güler is a founder and member of various associations and research centres in Turkey and worldwide. She is also a member of a number of international editorial and advisory boards and is vice chair of the Social Responsibility Research Network; series editor of the Gower Applied Research in Corporate Social Responsibility book series; associate editor of Social Responsibility Journal and convenor of the International Conference Series on Corporate Social Responsibility, now in its 10th year. She has also spoken extensively at conferences and seminars and has acted as a consultant to a wide range of government and commercial organisations.