“Corporate social responsibility and development in Africa: Issues and possibilities,”in Geography Compass 8 (7)
The literature on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and development in Africa is only just emerging, and it is characterized by a wide range of diverse perspectives. While the analysis of the CSR‐development nexus in Africa has been particularly insightful, there is often the lack of sufficiently grounded systematically accumulated empirical evidence. However, central to the CSR‐development nexus debate in Africa is the disagreement over the reimagining of the role of business from being the cause to becoming a part of the solution to the problem of underdevelopment in the region. This paper critically examines the CSR‐development nexus literature in Africa and lays bare the controversies that have so far emerged. The article engages with the drivers of CSR, its dynamics and nature within Africa. It then examines the debate of whether or not contextual factors matters for CSR and its relationship with development. Crucially, it identifies differences between proponents of CSR is good for development and those that share opposing views at the conceptual, practical, and discourse levels. The paper concludes by considering the emerging issues and its implications for future research agenda.
Uwafiokun Idemudia is a Professor and Chair of York University’s Department of Social Science.
Other publications from this author include:
- “A club perspective of sustainability certification schemes in the tourism and hospitality industry” in Journal of Sustainable Tourism 28 (4) (2020)
- “Mining, the environment, and human rights in Ghana: An area of limited statehood perspective” in Business Strategy and Environment 29 (1) (2020)
- “Survivor’s Perceptions of Human Trafficking Rehabilitation Programs in Nigeria: Empowerment or Disempowerment” in Journal of Human Trafficking (2020)
- “Promoting Human Rights Responsibilities: The Experience in Ghana’s Gold Mining Industry” in Corporate Actors in Global Governance: Business as Usual or New Deal, 51-74 (2019)
- “Oil extraction and poverty reduction in the Niger Delta: A critical examination of partnership initiatives” in Journal of Business Ethics 90, 91-116. (2009)