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Call for Contributions - CSR in Developing Countries:Towards a Development-Oriented Approach

Editors: Dima Jamali, Charlotte Karam and MichaelBlowfield

Since the turn of the millennium, we have witnessed a surge of interest in the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) coupled with an explosion in the number of articles, books and chapters written on the topic. CSR is generally usedas an umbrella term to describe the complex and multifaceted relationships between business and society and to accountfor the economic, social and environmental impacts of business activity. Within the literature emerging from developedeconomies, CSR has been examined along three main tracks: namely as a function of profit-maximizing behavior(McWilliams and Siegel 2002); institutional pressures (Campbell 2007); or managerial cognition (Muller and Kolk 2009). In

this respect, scholars have delved into various aspects and applications of CSR including the use of CSR for legitimation,the relationship between CSR and financial performance, and analyses of institutional pressures affecting CSR expressions.While this research has significantly advanced our understanding of CSR and its antecedents and implications, the bulk ofthis research has been concentrated in developed economies and in European and North American countries morespecifically.

There has been a burgeoning parallel interest in understanding the dynamics and peculiarities of CSR in developingeconomies (Blowfield and Frynas 2005; Newell and Frynas 2007; Idemudia 2011). Authors have contested the immediatetransferability of frameworks and conclusions drawn in the developed world to developing countries and have argued for theneed for a more nuanced analysis of how CSR manifests itself in emerging markets (Egri and Ralston 2008; Kolk andLenfant 2010; Kolk and Van Tulder 2010). The context-dependence of CSR has indeed been re-emphasized in recent yearsand the fact that developing countries present peculiar institutional constellations that affect CSR manifestations is now wellrecognized (e.g. Jamali and Sidani 2012; Visser 2008). Scholars have suggested for example that philanthropy constitutesthe main expression of CSR in the developing world whether because of prevailing cultural norms and expectations (Jamaliand Neville 2011; Gao 2009), religious expectations (Jamali et al. 2009a; Jamali et al. 2009b) or the difficult and pressingsocioeconomic needs that put pressure on firms to embrace philanthropic programs and interventions (Frynas 2005).

Other institutional gaps that affect the expressions of CSR in developing countries include the contracted and retracted roleof governments in developing countries (Frynas 2005; Amaeshi et al.2006) which often creates environments that are ripefor abuse (Khavul and Bruton 2013; Newenham-Kahindi 2011) and the weakness of drivers pertaining to businessassociations and non-governmental organizations (Jamali and Neville 2011). Ite (2005) identifies corruption, poorgovernance and the lack of accountability to be the main hindrances for CSR in Nigeria, causing exacerbated poverty andunemployment. Hence, while there has been some increased scholarship on CSR in developing countries, and new insightsinto the cultural and local specifics of CSR engagement, there is need for additional research that can inform a morenuanced and sophisticated research agenda that links to public policy and development goals in more substantive ways. Infact, various authors have highlighted a core challenge pertaining to how to move CSR beyond philanthropy, rhetoric,legitimization, imagery and public relations in the developing world to substantive engagement that addresses engrainedsocial problems (e.g. poverty, education, unemployment) and which has developmental impact and implications(Barkemeyer 2009; Karam and Jamali 2013).

Hence, this book volume is intended to highlight the current discussion on CSR in developing countries, through the voices

of authors, scholars and practitioners working in these contexts. The editors welcome contributions pertaining to variousaspects of CSR engagement in developing countries, with a particular focus on the question of the promise and potential ofCSR to serve as an effective development tool. The question of how the business sector can serve as an effective agent ofchange in the developing world is important and timely, particularly as the CSR paradigm continues to be anchored involuntary self-regulatory conceptions (Barmekeyer 2009; Jamali 2010). In this respect, Blowfield and Dolan (forthcoming)begin to chart the way by giving insights into how the business sector has moved from a reactive non-intentional role inpromoting development to a more proactive and engaged stance and specify three important criteria for an engageddevelopmental orientation pertaining to investing one's capital, giving primacy to the poor and their issues, andaccountability to address poverty and marginalization.

In summary, we invite contributions to this book volume seeking to address two primary questions. The first question is towhat extent and in what ways do CSR agenda challenges and initiatives differ in developing economies, and how to accountfor these variations? The second equally important question is how CSR can be mobilized more effectively to serve as adevelopment tool, in the sense of aligning more systematically with meeting development goals that are worthy andsubstantive. We believe that exploring CSR in developing-country contexts is important because these are the contexts

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where CSR and developmental needs are most acute (Jamali and Mirshak 2007; Visser 2008) and because developingcountries often present a distinctive set of CSR agenda challenges which may have qualitative differences from those facedin the developed world (Visser 2008). We also believe that, in our current time, CSR needs to be examined moresystematically not only in terms of constraints but also in terms of developmental potential in addressing relevant societal

concerns and local development needs. We invite a range of nuanced contributions that are able to move beyond theideological fault lines of CSR is "good versus bad" (Dolan and Rajak 2011), to focus on the CSR peculiarities, ambivalencesand tensions of CSR in developing countries and addressing the CSR-development nexus or interface more specifically.

Some questions that can guide contributors as they reflect on possible topics include:

1.What are the possible lines of inquiry linking CSR to development? What are the important questions needed to be askedto develop fruitful future research directions on CSR in developing countries?2.What are the specificities of CSR in developing countries? How to account for the variation?3.What does it mean for business to be a genuine development agent?4.How can CSR be leveraged, or mobilized, or tailored for greater developmental impact in different developing contexts?5.What is meant by inclusive growth or inclusive capitalism and how can companies channel some of their innovativeingenuity to worthwhile development needs and projects in the developing world?6.What are the questions that CSR researchers should be asking to contribute to a locally appropriate CSR discourse whileremaining relevant to the global CSR dialogue?

7.Similarly, what questions should practitioners be asking to make a local contribution and to lead the development-orientedCSR forward on the global stage?8.Where can CSR research in developing countries feed back into CSR research and practice in developed countries?9.What are the practical challenges of implementing development-oriented CSR initiatives within and across developingeconomies and how can these serve as opportunities for developing new avenues for responsible engagement?

A brief (one page) proposal or outline of your book chapter in terms of intended structure and main arguments andobjectives is due by end of November 2013; we will endeavor to get back to you in relation to acceptance by end December2013 and the full chapter contribution will be due on May 30, 2014. Please send your proposal to Dima Jamali(dj00@aub.edu.lb ) or Charlotte Karam (ck16@aub.edu.lb).

Greenleaf formatting guidelines should be closely followed.

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Barkemeyer, R. (2009). Beyond compliance - below expectations? Cross-border CSR, development and the UN GlobalCompact. Business Ethics: A European Review 18(3), 273-289.

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Jamali, D., Zanhour, M., & Keshishian, T. (2009b). Peculiar strengths and relational attributes of SMEs in the context ofCSR. Journal of Business Ethics 87(3), 355-367.

Karam, C., & Jamali, D. (2013). Gendering CSR in the Arab Middle East: An institutional perspective. Business EthicsQuarterly 23(1), 31-68.Khavul, S., & Bruton, G.D. (2013). Harnessing innovation for change: Sustainability and poverty indeveloping countries. Journal of Management Studies 50(2), 285-306.

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