Key Initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Key Initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An Introduction Samuel O. Idowu Abstract By and large, it is safe to assert that we have now passed the stage where modern scholars or anyone else are still debating or contending whether or not corporate social responsibility is a desirable field. The field has now been fully accepted globally and is now talked about seriously in all countries around the world in terms of how global citizens—corporates and individuals should take concerted efforts to practice and demonstrate their awareness of CSR and what it expects from us all. What I believe is now debatable is how we should all ensure that the field continues to thrive and advance in progress in every corners of the world. Advancing progress in CSR should actually be all global citizens’ business and goal. Doing this should hopefully provide answers to many of our world’s lingering social, economic and environmental problems, especially those problems which are still pervading the CSR’s arena for example; climate change, waste management and irresponsible use of our depletable resources. We still need to demonstrate that we are serious in executing what sustainable development means to us, what it requires from us all and how the needs of future generations of all inhabitants of our planet would be sustainably met, these are what I believe are still our debatable issues. Idowu (2015) argues that the quest for sustainable development has meant that both corporate and individual citizens of the world have a number of ethical choices to make, Idowu (2015) further notes that modern corporate entities; whether they like it or not must understand and inculcate this mindset into what they do. If these entities failed to formulate appropriate strategies that would enable all their stakeholders to conveniently make their ethical decisions, such entities face the risk of putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage in whatever sector of the economy they may operate in, that is the state of play in today’s world. All modern corporate entities, regardless of whether they are profit or not profit seeking operate in an intensely competitive environment. The license to operate which all these entities require are held by their stakeholders, and these stakeholders will not hesitate to withhold or refuse S.O. Idowu (*) London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law, London, UK e-mail: © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 S.O. Idowu (ed.), Key Initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21641-6_1 1 to willingly give this license. The resultant effect of withholding the license would undoubtedly put the survival of that particular corporate entity in great difficulties. Modern corporate entities are expected to continue to innovate in their various sectors. These entities are similarly expected to innovate not only in terms of their core business operations but also in terms of their corporate social responsibility activities using different initiatives. The main objective of this book is about exploring what these key CSR initiatives are, which corporate entities around the globe are putting in place in order to propagate and advance the field of CSR and sustainable development. Are these CSR initiatives genuine or are they simply put together for public relations purposes? What are these initiatives? What are the aims and objectives of these initiatives?Who are these initiatives aimed at?Who is responsible for these initiatives? Who pays for them? Who manages them? What are these initiatives composed of? Are they robust enough and fit for purpose? Similarly, what contributions are modern international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), The World Bank etc. making in terms of CSR related initiatives to take the necessary lead in this regard? What are national governments of countries around the world doing to advance the course of CSR? These are a few of the questions chapters in this book aim to provide answers to using the experiences of CSR scholars in 17 countries spread across the world. The Eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals which were set and agreed to by 189 world leaders in September 2000 are expected to come to conclusion this very year—2015. Have we successfully met all the requirements of these important CSR related goals? Have we now for example totally eradicated extreme poverty in our world? Do we now have universal primary education in place worldwide? Have women now been empowered and equalized with their male counterparts? I believe that we need to take a serious look at how far we have gone in each of the eight goals and identify what still remains to be done, perhaps there is scope for some research activities in this area! The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is now in its G4 strand—Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and the GRI is gradually being embraced globally, what a great initiative indeed! But how are corporate entities operating in our world faring in regard to genuinely practicing Sustainability before going out to reporting on their sustainability practices to their stakeholders? The United Nations Global Compact has ten important principles which everyone would accept our world cannot function effectively without adhering to what these ten principles require of all corporate entities. The ten principles are divided into four sections which were derived from four previous UN related documents. The four sections and ten principles are noted below: Section 1—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights • Principle 1—Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. • Principle 2—Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. 2 S.O. Idowu Section 2—The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work • Principle 3—Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining. • Principles 4—Businesses should eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labour. • Principle 5—Businesses should have in place an effective abolition of child labour. • Principle 6—Businesses should have in place a system which eliminates discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Section 3—The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development • Principle 7—Businesses should support a discretionary approach to environmental challenges. • Principle 8—Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility. • Principle 9—Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmental technologies. Section 4—The United Nations Convention Against Corruption • Principle 10—Businesses should work ageist corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Source: The United Nations Global Compact website Having listed these ten principles above, the question that I believe we also need to ask ourselves is whether we have now successfully eradicated all or many of these irresponsible actions the ten principles were designed to remove from the global corporate scene. Without being rhetoric, one can answer “NO” to that question. Like many of these things, no one compels any organizations to adhere or abide by them; they are simply “suggestions” or “recommendations” of what should happen in an ideal world but nobody lives in an ideal world, that’s a fact. Human rights abuses still take place every day in many parts of the world— Amnesty International would attest to that, even in some cases by the government of these nations where citizens are abused and put in solitary confinement in prison for whatever reasons, but this is the twenty-first century when things of that nature should be nothing but history. Is CSR still lacking in this regard? In terms of corruption and corrupt practices in public and even private sector organizations worldwide, this is an issue of global concern. We are all too aware that corruption holds back both economic and social development, in fact the website of Transparency International (TI) states that “Corruption is threatening economic growth for all” what a clear way to put it. The organization provides an annual index of perceptions of public sector corruption in countries and territories around the world. Scores range from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). See Table 1.1 below for the results of the Corruption Perception Index for 2012, 2013 and 2014 covering 175 countries and territories around the world and see what you 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 3 Table 1.1 Transparency international corruption league table for 2014 Rank Country 2014 score 2013 score 2012 score 1. Denmark 92 91 90 2. New Zealand 91 91 90 3. Finland 89 89 90 4. Sweden 87 89 88 5. Norway 86 86 85 6. Switzerland 86 85 86 7. Singapore 84 86 87 8. Netherlands 83 83 84 9. Luxemburg 82 80 80 10. Canada 81 81 84 11. Australia 80 81 85 12. Germany 79 78 79 12. Iceland 79 78 82 14. United Kingdom 78 76 74 15. Belgium 76 75 75 15. Japan 76 74 74 17. Barbados 74 75 76 17. Hong Kong 74 75 77 17. Ireland 74 72 69 17. United States 74 73 73 21. Chile 73 71 72 21. Uruguay 73 73 72 23. Austria 72 69 69 24. Bahamas 71 71 71 25. United Arab Emirates 70 69 68 26. Estonia 69 68 64 26. France 69 71 71 26. Qatar 69 68 68 29. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 67 62 62 30. Bhutan 65 63 63 31. Botswana 63 64 65 31. Cyprus 63 63 66 31. Portugal 63 62 63 31. Puerto Rico 63 62 63 35. Poland 61 60 58 35. Taiwan 61 61 61 37. Israel 60 61 60 37. Spain 60 59 65 39. Dominica 58 58 58 39. Lithuania 58 57 54 39. Slovenia 58 57 61 42. Cape Verde 57 58 60 (continued) 4 S.O. Idowu Table 1.1 (continued) Rank Country 2014 score 2013 score 2012 score 43. Korea (South) 55 55 56 43. Latvia 55 53 49 43. Malta 55 56 57 43. Seychelles 55 54 52 47. Costa Rica 54 53 54 47. Hungary 54 54 55 47. Mauritius 54 52 57 50. Georgia 52 49 52 50. Malaysia 52 50 49 50. Samoa 52 N/A N/A 53. Czech Republic 51 48 49 54. Slovakia 50 47 46 55. Bahrain 49 48 51 55. Jordan 49 45 48 55. Lesotho 49 49 45 55. Namibia 49 48 48 55. Rwanda 49 53 53 55. Saudi Arabia 49 46 44 61. Croatia 48 48 46 61. Ghana 48 46 45 63. Cuba 46 46 48 64. Oman 45 47 47 64. The FYR of Macedonia 45 44 43 64. Turkey 45 50 49 67. Kuwait 44 43 44 67. South Africa 44 42 43 69. Brazil 43 42 43 69. Bulgaria 43 41 41 69. Greece 43 40 36 69. Italy 43 43 42 69. Romania 43 43 44 69. Senegal 43 41 36 69. Swaziland 43 39 37 76. Montenegro 42 44 41 76. Sao Tome and Principe 42 42 42 78. Serbia 41 42 39 79. Tunisia 40 41 41 80. Benin 39 36 36 80. Bosnia and Herzegovina 39 42 42 80. El Salvador 39 38 38 80. Mongolia 39 38 36 80. Morocco 39 37 37 (continued) 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 5 Table 1.1 (continued) Rank Country 2014 score 2013 score 2012 score 85. Burkina Faso 38 38 38 85. India 38 36 36 85. Jamaica 38 38 38 85. Peru 38 38 38 85. Philippines 38 36 34 85. Sri Lanka 38 37 40 85. Thailand 38 35 37 85. Trinidad and Tobago 38 38 39 85. Zambia 38 38 37 94. Armenia 37 36 34 94. Colombia 37 36 36 94. Egypt 37 32 32 94. Gabon 37 34 35 94. Liberia 37 38 41 94. Panama 37 35 38 100. Algeria 36 36 34 100. China 36 40 39 100. Suriname 36 36 37 103. Bolivia 35 34 34 103. Mexico 35 34 34 103. Moldova 35 35 36 103. Niger 35 34 33 107. Argentina 34 34 35 107. Djibouti 34 36 36 107. Indonesia 34 32 32 110. Albania 33 31 33 110. Ecuador 33 35 32 110. Ethiopia 33 33 33 110. Kosovo 33 33 34 110. Malawi 33 28 34 115. Ivory Coast 32 27 29 115. Dominican Republic 32 29 32 115. Guatemala 32 29 33 115. Mali 32 28 34 119. Belarus 31 29 31 119. Mozambique 31 30 31 119. Sierra Leone 31 30 31 119. Tanzania 31 33 35 119. Vietnam 31 31 31 124. Guyana 30 27 28 124. Mauritania 30 30 31 126. Azerbaijan 29 38 27 (continued) 6 S.O. Idowu Table 1.1 (continued) Rank Country 2014 score 2013 score 2012 score 126. Gambia 29 28 34 126. Honduras 29 26 28 126. Kazakhstan 29 26 28 126. Nepal 29 31 27 126. Pakistan 29 28 27 126. Togo 29 29 30 133. Madagascar 28 28 32 133. Nicaragua 28 28 29 133. Timor-Leste 28 30 33 136. Cameroon 27 25 26 136. Iran 27 25 28 136. Kyrgyzstan 27 24 24 136. Lebanon 27 28 30 136. Nigeria 27 25 27 136. Russia 27 28 28 142. Comoros 26 28 28 142. Uganda 26 26 29 142. Ukraine 26 25 26 145. Bangladesh 25 27 26 145. Guinea 25 24 24 145. Kenya 25 27 27 145. Laos 25 26 21 145. Papua New Guinea 25 25 25 150. Central African Republic 24 25 26 150. Paraguay 24 24 25 152. Congo, Republic 23 22 26 152. Tajikistan 23 22 22 154. Chad 22 19 19 154. Congo, Democratic Republic of 22 22 21 156. Cambodia 21 20 22 156. Myanmar 21 21 15 156. Zimbabwe 21 21 20 159. Burundi 20 21 19 159. Syria 20 17 26 161. Angola 19 23 22 161. Guinea-Bissau 19 19 25 161. Haiti 19 19 19 161. Venezuela 19 20 19 161. Yemen 19 18 23 166. Eritrea 18 20 25 166. Libya 18 15 21 166. Uzbekistan 18 17 17 (continued) 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 7 think the table is telling us about our world in the twenty-first century despite the fact that CSR issues are now talked about worldwide and a number of nations are in fact legislating for mandatory CSR reporting, that to this editor is a step in the right direction. We are still to see the benefits that will come out of this action in the emerging economies—India, Indonesia and Mauritius that have taken this commendable CSR action. The table above has demonstrated clearly that underdevelopment and corruption have some relationship. Many of the southern nations of the world have not done particularly well looking at the table. In some cases, the problem gets worse at least from the 3 years cycle depicted in the table in some countries. Do we all still need to do more work in this regard? After all, the table indicates that it’s a global problem. Moving on swiftly from that issue, Idowu and Schmidpeter (2015) argue that there is no doubt that, in totality our world is now a better place for everyone barring a few still pressing issues we all need to continue to work on. They also noted that one cannot attribute all the successes we have made and continue to make globally in all ramifications to CSR but it has played some part in improving how we run the business, use resources, treat people, handle waste and treat the environment. However, I still believe that a lot is required of us all for things to get better, as Blowfield and Murray (2011) put it “these CSR issues we continue to hammer on in academia, practice and the civil society are all addressable challenges our world faces, and they can be addressed” and would hopefully be addressed. This book provides an insight into key corporate social responsibility initiatives used by modern corporate entities including government of nations in 17 independent states across the world. The book has been fortunate in the sense that contributors to its 20 chapters are either based or have connections with the 17 countries featured in the book. These contributors have first hand information of key CSR initiatives in these countries. They are all CSR scholars of repute and have worked in the field of CSR and its related disciplines for a number of years; I personally count myself fortunate to have attracted their interests in wanting to put their chapters together for the book. The views many of them have expressed in their chapters are the results of their research studies on CSR initiatives in the relevant countries featured in the book. The book has been divided into three parts, each part focusing on four of the continents of the world which have been grouped into three. Part I—addresses Key Table 1.1 (continued) Rank Country 2014 score 2013 score 2012 score 169. Turkmenistan 17 17 17 170. Iran 16 16 18 171. South Sudan 15 14 N/A 172. Afghanistan 12 8 8 173. Sudan 11 11 13 174. Korea (North) 8 8 8 174. Somalia 8 8 8 Acknowledgement: Data taken from Corruption Perceptions Index 2012, 2013 and 2014 Sources: Transparency International. For more information visit 8 S.O. Idowu Initiatives from Europe—it encompasses nine European countries in ten chapters, Part II—Australasia—which contains four countries in five chapters and Part III— Africa—which constitutes three countries in four chapters. In the second chapter of the book from Malta entitled ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in Europe’ where Camilleri a Maltese scholar of repute explores the latest EU’s strategies, guidelines and principles for CSR, Governance and Sustainability reporting. The chapter considers many EU member state governments’ regulatory roles based on interdependent relationships of stakeholders. Camilleri reports in his chapter some EU nation states’ CSR policies on non-financial performance of organizations for example issues that deal with Labour Standards, Human Rights, Health and Safety, Environmental Protection, Corporate Governance etc. The chapter also talks about the issue of Integrated Reporting—a growing field in corporate reporting, since King III Report of South Africa. It’s a must read chapter, that’s my view. Camilleri concludes this chapter by arguing that CSR which is now an integral part of corporate reporting has the capability of facilitating a more effective communication and useful dialogue between stakeholder groups, this Camilleri argues will raise awareness for public policy case and business case for CSR. In addition, Camilleri notes that implementing CSR and Sustainability initiatives will enable corporate entities to forge fruitful relationships with all their key stakeholders, this can only mean a win–win situation for everyone. In Chap. 3 on “Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives introduction in Central and Eastern Europe and their importance for the Equity investor”, Bistrova and Lace, two Latvian scholars discuss and analyze the implication status of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and their relevance to the stock investors in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The chapter considers three broad aspects of CSR in relations to the stock market namely the corporate governance quality, earnings quality and ownership structure specifics. Bistrova and Lace research results suggest that all of the aforementioned CSR system components are relevant if considered in the context of the stock exchange (1) well-managed companies are able to deliver superior returns in the long term (2) poor earnings quality negatively influences market returns (3) concentrated ownership appears to be the best ownership model suitable for CEE companies to offer higher long-term shareholder value. In the forth chapter by three scholars from Spain—Dı´az; Ramos and Dı´ez, entitled “Key Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: An Empirical Evidence from Spain”, these scholars commenced their chapter with a 2011 study in Spain which found that 43 % of Spanish enterprises consider CSR to be valuable to their organizations but only 15.5 % of them systematically implement social responsibility initiatives. Their chapter, in light of this low level of implementation of CSR initiatives wanted to explore which key CSR initiatives Spanish enterprises implemented and their evolution over the last few years. They argued that previously on this issue in Spain, the literature had focused on empirical analyses of CSR initiatives in a specific group of organizations, according to their size or their profit or nonprofit motive. Therefore, the main contribution of this research by Dı´az; 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 9 Ramos and Dı´ez is to advance knowledge about the implementation of CSR initiatives in Spain. This was why they carried out an exploratory analysis and focusing on three main groups of organizations: small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), companies listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange and those included in the IBEX35 index, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Taking into account the differences between the three groups, this chapter explores whether Spanish organizations are dealing with the same key CSR initiatives, which of them have been the most implemented and which have been the least implemented and how CSR policies should be orientated to promote initiatives in CSR. In conclusion, results from this exploratory study show that, despite the great effort to implement CSR initiatives in Spanish companies and the increase in such initiatives, there are still some challenges facing Spanish companies. The efficiency of Corporate Governance policies and the difficulties which small enterprises face in their attempt to implement these initiatives are two of these challenges. Mara Del Baldo an excellent Italian scholar of repute in Chap. 5 on “Formal Co-operation for developing Sustainability and CSR among Tourism SMEs in Italy: Insights, Limits and Potentialities of the Network Contract”, focuses her chapter on the theme of businesses’ networks through the network contract (Italian Law. n. 33 of 9th April 2009 and subsequent modifications). Developing several preliminary reflections that have emerged from an analysis of current literature and from empirical research on the role of the network contract (NC) in sustaining the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist sector and at the same time making the most of the territory, the chapter presents the theoretical framework which focuses on forms of inter-firm collaboration which include the network contract. It goes on to underline the results of the first exploratory investigation into network contracts drawn up in the tourist sector until 2013 with the aim of identifying, on the basis of the kind of objectives shared by companies, its potential and impact on the dissemination of the culture of sustainability and responsibility. The initial results note that today, the network contract is not yet widely used in the tourist sector, although recent signs of growth indicate a development in the future and its effectiveness for the diffusion of forms of sustainable tourism. Even if the objectives followed through this tool of inter-firm collaboration are mainly geared towards marketing strategies, integration in the tourist industry and internationalization, they contribute to promoting the territory opening up new spaces for economic, social and environmental growth. In a second chapter from Italy, Gulluscio, Torrecchia and De Cristofaro dived into the issue of CSR education in the Italian Catholic and Ecclesiastic Universities. They commenced their chapter by hypothesizing that different cultural, economic, socio-political, religious and environmental contexts have an important part to play in how CSR is defined and how the field is approached. The objective of their research was to identify the features of the concept of CSR in a specific cultural context, represented by universities located in the Italian territory and managed by the Catholic institution. These universities, in fact, assume some important roles in the Italian socio-cultural context which the Vatican’s presence in the Italian peninsula strongly affects. These scholars’ note that the basic aim of their research 10 S.O. Idowu project was to study the modules dealing with CSR issues studied in higher education institutions of Catholic orientation located in the Italian territory. They divided these universities into two main categories: 1. Clerical universities. 2. Catholic universities. The first category they note includes institutions directly dependent on the “Holy See”. In the second category are institutions which have been granted juridical personality in Italy. They are given the permission to operate from an ecclesiastical authority. However, they are subject to the Italian legal provision (entities with extraterritoriality). I believe their chapter should be an interesting read. The 7th chapter by a prolific author and a scholar from Poland—Maria Aluchna entitled “The Bermuda Triangle: The interdependence of Social, Governance and Environmental Challenges to Sustainable Development” Aluchna commences her chapter by noting that companies operating on the stock market face many challenges which may hamper their growth and development. Aluchna argues that they need to take into account the impacts of the globalization and internationalization processes which provide many opportunities (access to labor, customers and resources) as well as threats (hyper competition, quest for innovation and lower costs). The business environment is characterized by an unprecedented scope and frequency of changes rooted in technology (ICT), the specific market structure (consolidations, severe competition), the changing sociology and demographics as well as current inefficiencies related to the financial crisis. Besides, these problems companies also need to incorporate other areas of constrains in their daily operations as well as strategic developments which result from the extensive use of natural resources, industry impact on the environment, plundering consumption, inefficient waste management and risks of energy, clean water and clean air shortage as well as devastation of fauna and flora. Recent years have brought about significant adverse impacts on the natural environment to such an extent that they have resulted in a reduction in quantity and quality of natural resources which has severe impacts on global companies’ operations. Aluchna’s chapter addresses a set of social, environmental and economic forces which have led to the emergence of sustainable development. The main goal of the paper she notes is to identify the specific factors out of the three factors and to track how they have influenced the understanding of today’s business forcing companies to integrate social, environmental and economic requirements in their operational activities. In Chap. 8 entitled “The Pursuit of responsible business: Corporate Responsibility of Finnish companies in their global operations” by Mikkila¨, Panapanaan and Linnanen three reputable scholars from Finland note the increasing call on global businesses to operate in line with the internationally accepted business standards and socially responsible management practices. Since there is no over-the-boundary global legislation, the institutionalization of various CSR programs and initiatives pose challenges for many companies operating globally, they argue. This is also the case with a few Finnish companies that operate globally. Many businesses and policy researchers have been classifying the global business environment by 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 11 normative means, such as the development of various corporate responsibility (CSR) management programs or initiatives. This chapter looks at some examples of the practices of Finland-based companies in six different operation areas to determine the adequacy of national and international CSR initiatives in various operational environments and to map out the institutionalization process behind the CSR initiatives. The cases were analyzed using the normative ISO 26000 CSR guidelines in terms of the Finnish context as understood by the Finnish Corporate Social Responsibility Network (FIBS). The analysis was expanded beyond the Finnish home market, as the major responsibility debate has concentrated on the international operations of large Finnish companies. Bakic´, Mijatovic´ and Marinovic´, three Serbian scholars in Chap. 9 on “Key CSR Initiatives in Serbia: A New Concept with New Challenges” argue that corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a business concept emerged in the corporate and NGO sectors in Serbia at the commencement of the transition towards market economy in the 2000s. The concept was introduced on to the country’s corporate scene by large multinational companies that started their operations in Serbia and transferred the good practice from global to local level. Soon after, the academic community started to research the topic, while NGOs initiated advocacy campaigns and started to build the cross-sectoral partnerships to promote the CSR concept. The first Serbian government official public policy document on CSR was the “National Sustainable Development Strategy” adopted by the Serbian Government in 2008, followed by “National CSR Promotion and Development Strategy ” note Bakic´, Mijatovic´ and Marinovic´ . The main objectives of their chapter they note are to present the initiatives used by: the government to promote CSR, such as public policies and legal framework, and NGOs, corporate entities and other institutions in Serbia. Examples of such initiatives include campaigns, CSR awards, certification and reporting. In order to answer their research questions, the authors have analyzed survey results related to the CSR practice of 17 large companies, members of the Business leaders forum in 2014, the amount and type of their community, marketplace and environment investments, as well as their priorities regarding the social issues to address and social groups to engage with. These three scholars finally went on to illustrate the expectations and perception of CSR from the perspective of the Serbian citizens, to present and discuss the results of their public opinion survey with regard to CSR in Serbia. In the 10th chapter of the book on CSR initiatives in Lithuania, by Rita Vilke˙, a Lithuanian scholar begins her chapter by noting that Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is still an evolving paradigm in many new European Union (EU) member states albeit these states’ having experienced half-a-century of Soviet planned economy, different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds of new EU community members propose respective cases for discussion of newly developing businesses and CSR. The Soviet business in Lithuania had been addressed as a phenomenon, which seemed inconsistent with the political and economic system, but certainly used to be characterized by business terms from the free world, Vilke˙ argues. The originators of capitalism of the planned economy, based on prior Lithuanian traditions and concepts, supported by them and shaped by the 12 S.O. Idowu environment, had brought many imperfections in the early post-Soviet economic development processes, sometimes without realizing it, shortcomings running in line with some benefits. Vilke˙ notes that her research aims to elucidate the issue, in specific context of Lithuania, which has historically formed particular fundamentals of the very first CSR initiatives even before the “top-bottom” pressure from the EU. On the other hand, there is a proposed discussion on the input made by international organizations, such as the EU and UNDP, which firstly occurred on the institutional agenda and afterwards was followed by a number of CSR initiatives, implemented in collaboration with the government, business and NGOs. In Chap. 11, the final chapter of Part I entitled “Building the Capacity for Corporate Social Responsibility through Supportive Initiatives in Estonia” by Mari Kooskora who argues that Estonia is a country that has experienced lengthy periods of existence under many foreign powers such as Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Russia. It enjoyed briefly a period of independence in economic and social prosperity terms, before it was again occupied by the Soviet Union for 50 years. It has been relatively successful as an independent state in rebuilding a sustainable economy and developing a favourable business climate leading to rapid growth in its economy and social dimensions, Kooskora notes. Now that the initial rapid and radical changes are over, businesses have started to realise the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR); although, corporate social responsibility and its related topics are still not being discussed at length publicly, and people may argue they do not really understand the concept at all. At the same time, it seems that much more is actually being done by companies; although, these activities are often not acknowledged as CSR per se. In most cases, CSR is freely accepted by companies, while support from the government is relatively modest. Although a National CSR Strategy for Enterprises has been created, it only performs an advisory role, and CSR initiatives have not been supported by the public authorities. Therefore, it could be argued that in many companies and especially among public officials, CSR is still perceived as corporate philanthropy, sponsorship and/or marketing activities rather than a consideration of and responsibility to stakeholders. The chapter argues that this view has recently started to change in several business organisations; moreover, a new generation of civic society is taking the lead, they are willing to enter into dialogue and contribute to a more developed and better balanced society where CSR has a central role, notes Koooskora. Although CSR has been left mainly as the initiative of companies, there are some non-profit seeking and academic institutions which have taken leading roles and are fostering CSR related initiatives in Estonia. They are increasing awareness about CSR and related issues, conducting research, providing trainings and consultations whilst supporting those organisations that want to know more and develop further in this field. Among these activities there is also a CSR Index, which helps companies to define, evaluate and monitor their economic, social and environmental impact and which highlight areas that require action and can be further developed. CSR is taking shape in Estonia, this experienced scholar contends. This should make an interesting reading. 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 13 Part II of the book considers key CSR initiatives in four countries in Australasia. It’s very first chapter, the 12th chapter of the book by a famous Australian Sociology scholar Dyann Ross entitled “Corporate Responsibility in Australia’s Mining Industry: An Applied Stakeholder Approach” who argues that CSR encompasses a set of strategies used by governments, public and private sector organizations to align their operational objectives with their social responsibilities. Ross notes further that the motivation behind many Australian corporate entities in wanting to develop CSR initiatives and report on them varies from one company to another. Ross further argues that the motivation is generally multi-dimensional. In the country’s mining sector for example, Ross explains that CSR initiatives are generally driven by the sector’s desire to improve its image about the adverse impacts of its activities on people, communities and ecosystems. The limited regulatory action on the part of the Australian government in this area despite the possibilities of the adverse effects of the sector’s operational activities on life and the environment motivated Ross in wanting to explore the CSR initiatives pursued by the sector in its attempt to demonstrate responsibility to all and sundry. The 13th chapter by Scott T Davis a famous Japanese based Professor entitled “From Insularity to Integration: The Reformation of Socially Responsible Business in Japan” Davis argues that CSR in Japan is currently undergoing a reconceptualization as a result of government policies and related reforms being implemented by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration in order to revitalize the Japanese economy from its prolonged economic stagnation. The chapter espouses that the advent of CSR has made it glaringly clear that economic health and vitality can no longer be defined exclusively in terms of isolated corporate interests, as a result of this, Japan’s conservative government is seeking to push corporations out of their commonly criticized insularity and towards a more socially informed and integrated competitive stance. The has now necessitated corporations being called upon to reformulate their CSR plans and activities by integrating social and strategic goals into long-term plans and strategies which cover the full scope of their activities both domestically and globally. The chapter argues that, by acknowledging a link between social wellbeing and long-term economic growth and competitiveness, the Abe administration’s reforms constitute a watershed event in the conceptualization of the social responsibility of corporations in Japan. In Chap. 14, by Emeritus Professor Chartterjee a world renowned scholar on Key CSR initiatives in India a chapter he titles “Corporate Responsibility in India: From Traditional Ethos to Contemporary Traditions” Chartterjee notes how traditional wisdom and religious ethos have worked together to embed in corporate entities; some moral duties in their quest to satisfy their profit motive in India. Chartterjee recalls the inspiration given by the great Indian philosopher—Mahatma Ghandi to society and business when the great man talked about the benefits derivable by society and business from the Trusteeship concept. Chatterjee refers to recent happenings in India especially during the 1990s economic reform which brought about a drastic shift in India’s approaches to CSR. He notes the effect on volunteering in India of the 2014 legal requirement of certain Indian companies (that fall within three different types in terms of profit, net worth and annual 14 S.O. Idowu turnover in US$) to devote 2 % of their annual profit towards CSR. The chapter explores the motivations behind this new CSR law in India. In Chap. 15 by Gunawan a young Indonesian scholar entitled “ Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in a Regulated Emerging Country: An Indonesian Perspective” who notes that CSR is now regulated in Indonesia at both national and local levels. Despite this, there is still a common misunderstanding about CSR in the country since the field is generally perceived in terms of what Archie Carroll in his ‘Pyramid of CSR’ describes as Philanthropic or Discretionary CSR. In an attempt to throw more light into CSR in Indonesia Gunawan explores the key CSR initiatives and CSR methods used by leading Indonesian companies. Her study of the area was a combination of desk and field research using ten leading companies in the country which participated in the country’s 2014 CSR Awards event. Gunawan notes that CSR initiatives in Indonesia are driven mainly by government initiatives and regulations. The chapter argues that even though CSR is still in its infancy, the government has been encouraging companies to engage in the “moral obligation” strand of the field instead of its “regulation abiding” strand of the field. In the final chapter of Part II by three Australian based scholars Islam, Haque and Jain in Chap. 16 titled “A preliminary analysis of Australian Government’s indigenous reform agenda ‘Closing the Gap’ and Corporate Responsibility” these scholars in their chapter provide a preliminary analysis of Australian Government’s reform agenda popularly known as ‘Closing the Gap’. “Closing the Gap”, they note sets a commitment by all Australian governments to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, and in particular to provide a better future for indigenous Australian children. The chapter discusses how the coalition of Australian Governments prepared this agenda and how this program involves Australian corporations in the task. Islam, Haque and Jain suggest the inevitability of another reform in order to allow the government to mandate corporate involvements and contributions in the reform agenda. The final part of the book focuses on Key CSR Initiatives in three African nations—Nigeria (the continent’s largest economy and most populous state) with two chapters, and a chapter each from Ghana and Kenya. Chapter 17 the first one in the section on “ Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in Nigeria”, by Osemeke, Adegbite and Adegbite three young Nigerian scholars based in the UK argue in the chapter that Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in Nigeria originated from the practices of Multinational companies (MNCs) operations in the extraction sectors of the Nigerian economy, especially in the oil sector. Their operations in communities resulted in a number of CSR breaches; such as oil spillages, gas flaring, militancy/community agitations and dumping of toxic waste materials in rivers. These activities destroyed the sources of income for the communities which are mainly in farming and fishing, leading to widespread poverty and agitation from the communities. Cumulatively, these raised concerns about the role of businesses in the Nigerian society. Apart from the activities of MNCs, the failure by successive Nigerian governments to fulfill their mandatory obligation of providing social amenities for communities has made 1 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives From Around the World: An... 15 MNCs to become quasi-government with community depending and targeting MNCs to solve their economic problems. Government from all levels, have failed to offer solutions (such as building infrastructures, roads, medical facilities and schools). This is largely due to corruption, weak institutional framework, lack of transparency and accountability among public sector officials and bad governance among other issues, they argue. The chapter notes that CSR initiatives in Nigeria have not been strategic, in a way which provides a thorough engagement of businesses in society and nation building, but have been culturally oriented, reflecting the religion, ethnicity, traditions and communal lifestyle of the people which involves sharing, togetherness and consensus. This means that CSR initiatives in Nigeria have been mostly discretionary and philanthropic, characterized by donations, charities and community developments. Most corporate entities such as MNC and financial institutions are taking CSR initiatives seriously. Some have CSR departments and publish their environmental/CSR reports in addition to their annual reports. Their CSR initiatives involve mostly sponsorship in sports, beautification of roads, giving donations and project implementations. Some of these projects include the provision of borehole water, youth empowerment, schools and healthcare centers for the communities. In Chap. 18, another chapter on CSR initiatives in Nigeria by three Welsh based scholars, two of them of Nigerian descent—Lincoln, Adedoyin and Croad entitled “Fostering Corporate Social Responsibility among Nigerian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises” who argue that their chapter seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in African countries from a Nigerian standpoint. The chapter explores the role of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in promoting CSR initiatives in Nigeria as well as their motivation and challenges. They that since very little is known about SMEs awareness of CSR practices and strategies within the Nigerian context, the chapter would add to knowledge in the area. In order to gather the required data for the study, they carried out a face-to-face questionnaire survey with 371 SME owner/ managers in Lagos, Nigeria. The findings obtained from the survey conducted with these SMEs owner/managers support the view that Nigerian SMEs’ adoption of CSR is closely linked to the owner/managers values, religious orientation and SMEs entrenchment in the local socio-economic environment. The study has several theoretical implications, they suggest. The study makes an empirical contribution to the meager literature in this area thus fills gaps in the literature on SME CSR practices thereby providing a theoretical perspective on which future research can be developed. The study also highlights the importance of more NGO and government support for CSR initiatives amongst SME owner/managers especially in the context of developing countries. In the penultimate chapter of the book by two Dutch scholars one of the a prolific author/researcher on “Sticks in a Bundle are Unbreakable: The creation of Kenyan Corporate Social Responsibility Knowledge Centre and Business Network” Moratis and Slaa note Kenya with a growing economy and being an increasingly popular investment destination, both domestic and foreign business activity in Kenya has surged over the past years. In addition, the country has a relatively 16 S.O. Idowu young population and many of the country’s economic sectors offer business opportunities. Despite these developments, Moratis and Slaa note that the country is has faced challenges on various dimensions of social-economic development. Against this background, corporate social responsibility (CSR), defined as firms’ roles and responsibilities in contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable economy, may play an important role in combating social and ecological challenges and strengthening Kenyan business at the same time. Moratis and Slaa espouse that Dutch and Kenyan governments and businesses have taken the initiative to develop a knowledge centre for sustainable and inclusive business in Kenya (KSIB-K). This initiative sprung from a Dutch trade mission to Kenya in 2013. The Dutch CSR knowledge centre, MVO Nederland, was invited to contribute in this trade mission with the objective to disseminate knowledge and expertise on CSR and participate in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on CSR in the Kenyan flower sector. After a series of the roundtables talks on CSR and sustainability in which Kenyan and Dutch organizations participated, the plan was conceived to develop KSIB-K and, as an integral part of it, build a local CSR business network. The chapter provides a good indication of government to government (G-G) actions on propagating corporate social responsibility. It indicates how many first world countries on this occasion The Netherlands are demonstrating a high level of social responsibility in an attempt to help emerging countries take the issue of CSR seriously so that corporate entities operating in these emerging countries could understand what they need to know in order to practice CSR and be socially responsible.