Evaluating the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Reducing Community-Company Conflicts: Aligning Social Commitments with Stakeholder Expectations
Main Article Content
Abstract
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is explored as a strategic approach to mitigate conflicts between companies and local communities, with a focus on fostering trust, transparency, and sustainable engagement. The study analyzes CSR-driven initiatives aimed at addressing community grievances, environmental concerns, and socio-economic disparities in areas affected by corporate operations. Through a case study approach, the research examines how companies implement CSR policies to align corporate goals with community needs, reduce tensions, and enhance social license to operate. The findings illuminate the complexity of community-company relationships and underscore the importance of stakeholder communication, participatory planning, and ethical corporate behavior in minimizing conflict. The study emphasizes the role of CSR as a proactive conflict-resolution mechanism within corporate strategy. By analyzing real-world cases, the research demonstrates how CSR can transform adversarial relationships into collaborative partnerships, particularly in sensitive socio-environmental contexts.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Adigwe, O. P., Mohammed, E. N. A., & Onavbavba, G. (2023). Preventing and MitigatingInter-Professional Conflict Among Healthcare Professionals in Nigeria. In Journal of Healthcare Leadership (p. 1). Dove Medical Press. https://doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s392882
Afzali, H., & Kim, S. S. (2021). Consumers’ Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility:
The Mediating Role of CSR Authenticity. In Sustainability (Vol. 13, Issue 4, p. 2224). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042224
Albuquerque, R., & Cabral, L. (2024). Strategic Corporate Purpose. In Journal of Economics & Management Strategy. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/jems.12619
Ásványi, K., & Zsóka, Á. (2021). Directing CSR and Corporate Sustainability Towards the Most Pressing Issues. In CSR, sustainability, ethics & governance (p. 3). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62501-6_1
Awuah, L. S., Amoako, K. O., Yeboah, S., Marfo, E. O., & Ansu‐Mensah, P. (2021). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): motivations and challenges of a Multinational Enterprise (MNE) subsidiary’s engagement with host communities in Ghana. In International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-021-00064-8
Awuah, L. S., Amoako, K. O., Yeboah, S., Marfo, E. O., & Ansu‐Mensah, P. (2021). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): motivations and challenges of a Multinational Enterprise (MNE) subsidiary’s engagement with host communities in Ghana. In International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-021-00064-8
Berényi, L., & Deutsch, N. (2021). Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Philosophies among Hungarian Business Students. In Sustainability (Vol. 13, Issue 17, p. 9914). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179914
Boussema, S. (2025). Examining identity centrality in social media entrepreneurship. In Journal of Enterprising Communities People and Places in the Global Economy. Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/jec-06-2024-0103
Bruce, E., & Priscilla, O.-A. (2022). A Review of Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Relationship with Customer Satisfaction and Corporate Image [Review of A Review of Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Relationship with Customer Satisfaction and Corporate Image]. Open Journal of Business and Management, 10(2), 715. Scientific Research Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2022.102040
Charkawi, W., Dunn, K., & Bliuc, A. (2024). Evaluations of countering violent extremism programs: Linking success to content, approach, setting, and participants. In International journal of law, crime and justice (Vol. 77, p. 100674). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2024.100674
Dare, J., Olateju, O. A., Adeoye, S., & Ilyas, I. S. (2021). A critical review of the application of the legitimacy theory to corporate social responsibility [Review of A critical review of the application of the legitimacy theory to corporate social responsibility]. International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.20431/2349-0349.0903001
Dler, S. M., & Tawfeq, A. O. (2021). Importance of Managerial Roles and Capabilities on Organizational Effectiveness. In International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences (Vol. 11, Issue 4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11- i4/9748
Do, H., & Sum, C. C. (2021). Business student attitudes toward corporate social responsibility: a Vietnamese study. In Journal of Management & Organization (p. 1). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2021.28
Farah, T., Li, J., Li, Z., & Shamsuddin, A. (2021). The non-linear effect of CSR on firms’ systematic risk: International evidence. In Journal of International Financial Markets Institutions and Money (Vol. 71, p. 101288). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2021.101288
Fatima, T., & Elbanna, S. (2022). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Implementation: A Review and a Research Agenda Towards an Integrative Framework [Review of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Implementation: A Review and a Research Agenda Towards an Integrative Framework]. Journal of Business Ethics, 183(1), 105. Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05047-8
Foster, C. (2023). Methodological pragmatism in educational research: from qualitative- quantitative to exploratory-confirmatory distinctions. In International Journal of Research & Method in Education (Vol. 47, Issue 1, p. 4). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2023.2210063
Fourati, Y. M., & Dammak, M. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: International evidence of the mediating role of reputation. In Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (Vol. 28, Issue 6, p. 1749). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2143
Gioffré, A., Tampieri, A., & Villanacci, A. (2021). Private versus public companies with strategic CSR. In Journal of Economics (Vol. 133, Issue 2, p. 129). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00712-020-00729-1
Gulema, T. F., & Roba, Y. T. (2021). Internal and external determinants of corporate social responsibility practices in multinational enterprise subsidiaries in developing countries: evidence from Ethiopia. In Future Business Journal (Vol. 7, Issue 1). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-021-00052-1
Hua, X., Hasan, N. A. M., Costa, F. D., & Abdullah, Z. (2023). Customer Satisfaction in the Field of Corporate Social Responsibility Research -- A Visual Analysis based on Citespace Software. In International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences (Vol. 13, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i2/16330
Husgafvel, R. (2021). Exploring Social Sustainability Handprint—Part 1: Handprint and Life Cycle Thinking and Approaches. In Sustainability (Vol. 13, Issue 20, p. 11286). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011286
Kathayat, A. (2022). A Case against CSR Initiatives. In Open Journal of Business and Management (Vol. 10, Issue 2, p. 701). Scientific Research Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2022.102039
Luo, Y., Jiang, H., & Zeng, L. (2023). Linking Informative and Factual CSR Communication to Reputation: Understanding CSR Motives and Organizational Identification. In Sustainability (Vol. 15, Issue 6, p. 5136). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065136
Ma, C., Chishti, M. F., Durrani, M. K., Bashir, R., Safdar, S., & Hussain, R. T. (2023). The Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Impact on Financial Performance: A Case of Developing Countries. In Sustainability (Vol. 15, Issue 4, p. 3724). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043724
Maráková, V., Wolak-Tuzimek, A., & Tučková, Z. (2021). Corporate Social Responsibility As a Source of Competitive Advantage in Large Enterprises. In Journal of Competitiveness (Vol. 13, Issue 1, p. 113). Tomas Bata University in Zlín. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2021.01.07
Martínez, J. V., Herrera, A. A., & Pérez, R. C. (2021). Do Consumers Really Care about Aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility When Developing Attitudes toward a Brand? In Journal of Global Marketing (Vol. 35, Issue 3, p. 193). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2021.1958277
Menghwar, P. S., & Daood, A. (2021). Creating shared value: A systematic review, synthesis and integrative perspective. In International Journal of Management Reviews (Vol. 23, Issue 4, p. 466). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12252
Menghwar, P. S., & Daood, A. (2021). Creating shared value: A systematic review, synthesis and integrative perspective. In International Journal of Management Reviews (Vol. 23, Issue 4, p. 466). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12252
Mitra, N. (2021). Impact of strategic management, corporate social responsibility on firm performance in the post mandate period: evidence from India. In International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-020-00052-4
Mitra, N. (2021). Impact of strategic management, corporate social responsibility on firm performance in the post mandate period: evidence from India. In International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-020-00052-4
Mohammed, E. N. A., Onavbavba, G., Wilson, D. O., & Adigwe, O. P. (2022). Understanding the Nature and Sources of Conflict Among Healthcare Professionals in Nigeria: A Qualitative Study. In Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (p. 1979). Dove Medical Press. https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s374201
Osore, M. K., Hassan, F., & Morara, G. N. (2022). Perceived benefits and barriers to community participation in development projects – The case of Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani on the Kenya coast. In Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science (Vol. 21, Issue 1, p. 35). African Journals OnLine. https://doi.org/10.4314/wiojms.v21i1.3
Pan, C., Abbas, J., Otero, S. Á., Khan, H., & Cai, C. (2022). Interplay between corporate social responsibility and organizational green culture and their role in employees’ responsible behavior towards the environment and society. In Journal of Cleaner Production (Vol. 366, p. 132878). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132878
Potapova, A., Wang, Z., & Steblyanskaya, A. (2021). The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Company’s Financial Performance. In Journal of Corporate Finance Research / Корпоративные Финансы | ISSN 2073-0438 (Vol. 15, Issue 4, p. 18). National Research University – Higher School of Economics. https://doi.org/10.17323/j.jcfr.2073-0438.15.4.2021.18-35
Puriwat, W., & Tripopsakul, S. (2021). The Impact of Digital Social Responsibility on Preference and Purchase Intentions: The Implication for Open Innovation. In Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity (Vol. 7, Issue 1, p. 24). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010024
Qin, F., Li, Y., & Zhang, Q. (2023). Contextual Relevance of Sustainable Supply Chain: Recycling, Philanthropy, or Both? In Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering (Vol. 32, Issue 2, p. 222). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11518-023-5555-y
Rahardjo, K. P., & Kurniawati, K. (2023). Caroll Pyramid Implementation of Environmental Responsibility Programs of PT Pertamina EP Subang Field, Tambun Field, and Jatibarang Field in Organic Agriculture. In Journal Of Social Research (Vol. 2, Issue 9, p. 3331). https://doi.org/10.55324/josr.v2i9.1396
Raman, R., Sreenivasan, A., Suresh, M., Patwardhan, A., & Nedungadi, P. (2023). Green Supply Chain Management Research Trends and Linkages to UN Sustainable Development Goals. In Sustainability (Vol. 15, Issue 22, p. 15848). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215848
Rank, S., & Contreras, F. (2021). Do Millennials pay attention to Corporate Social Responsibility in comparison to previous generations? Are they motivated to lead in times of transformation? A qualitative review of generations, CSR and work motivation [Review of Do Millennials pay attention to Corporate Social Responsibility in comparison to previous generations? Are they motivated to lead in times of transformation? A qualitative review of generations, CSR and work motivation]. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 6(1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-020-00058-y
Reppmann, M., Harms, S., Edinger‐Schons, L. M., & Foege, J. N. (2024). Activating the sustainable consumer:The role of customer involvement in corporate sustainability. In Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01036-7
Sayedahmed, N. Y. M. (2022). CSR Shifting to HSR? A Critical Analysis of Future Trends. In Journal of Economics Finance and Management Studies (Vol. 5, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v5-i1-08
Sayedahmed, N. Y. M. (2022). CSR Shifting to HSR? A Critical Analysis of Future Trends. In Journal of Economics Finance and Management Studies (Vol. 5, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v5-i1-08
Selvamuthu, M., Logeswari, S., & Karthika, S. (2021). Corporate social responsibility practices in MSMEs in India. In International Journal of Research in Finance and Management (Vol. 4, Issue 1, p. 34). https://doi.org/10.33545/26175754.2021.v4.i1a.94
Sharma, E., & Sathish, M. (2022). “CSR leads to economic growth or not”: an evidence-based study to link corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of the Indian banking sector with economic growth of India. In Asian Journal of Business Ethics (Vol. 11, Issue 1, p. 67). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-022- 00142-5
Sharma, E., & Sathish, M. (2022). “CSR leads to economic growth or not”: an evidence- based study to link corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of the Indian banking sector with economic growth of India. In Asian Journal of Business Ethics (Vol. 11, Issue 1, p. 67). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-022-00142-5
Tabook, Y. S. (2021). The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Corporate Financial Performance from Multiple Literature Perspectives. In International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences (Vol. 11, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarafms/v11-i3/11282
Thomas, A., Scandurra, G., & Carfora, A. (2021). Adoption of green innovations by SMEs: an investigation about the influence of stakeholders. In European Journal of Innovation Management (Vol. 25, Issue 6, p. 44). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-07-2020-0292
Tuuli, M. M., Fusheini, K., & Salia, H. (2023). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Effect on Teaching and Learning: Evidence from an Emerging Economy. In International Journal of Innovation in Teaching and Learning (IJITL) (Vol. 9, Issue 1, p. 1). https://doi.org/10.35993/ijitl.v9i1.2570
Vărzaru, A. A., Bocean, C. G., & Nicolescu, M. M. (2021). Rethinking Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability in Light of Economic Performance. In Sustainability (Vol. 13, Issue 5, p. 2660). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052660
Vuorinen, L., Lehtinen, J., & Ståhle, M. (2024). Let the people decide! Citizen engagement and enfranchisement in the front end of urban development projects. In International Journal of Managing Projects in Business (Vol. 17, Issue 8, p. 92). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmpb-01-2024-0009
Wong, A. K. F., Kim, S., & Hwang, Y. (2021). Effects of Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Performance on Hotel Employees’ Behavior. In International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration (Vol. 23, Issue 6, p. 1145). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2021.1935390
Wu, D., Li, H., & Yang, J. (2023). How does social responsibility investment strategy contribute to hospitality firms’ recovery from public health emergencies? The case of COVID-19 pandemic. In International Journal of Hospitality Management (Vol. 113, p. 103530). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103530
Wut, T. M., Xu, J., & Wong, H. (2021). A 15-year Review of “Corporate Social Responsibility Practices” Research in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry [Review of A 15-year
Review of “Corporate Social Responsibility Practices” Research in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry]. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 23(1), 240. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008x.2020.1864566
Xia, L., Li, Z., Wei, J., & Gao, S. (2023). Doing well by doing good: unpacking the black box of corporate social responsibility. In Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-023-09878-5
Zhenzhen, Y., Su, H., & Sun, W. (2021). Can strategic corporate social responsibility drive corporate innovation? In South African Journal of Business Management (Vol. 52, Issue 1). AOSIS. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2577