Developing a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy in India Using the SA 8000 Standard
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Developing CSR Strategies in India
- developing countries are the fastest growing economies, and therefore, the most profitable growth markets for multinational companies;
- developing countries are those in which the social and environmental crises are generally more acutely felt in the world [26];
- developing countries are those in which globalization, economic growth, investments and economic activities can have the most marked social and environmental impacts [27];
- developing countries present challenges to the implementation of CSR which are altogether very different from those to be addressed in developed ones.
2.2. Reasons for Being SA 8000 Certified
2.3. The Management of SA 8000 in India
3. Methodology
Data Collection
4. Results and Discussion
5. Conclusions, Practical Implications and Limitation of the Research
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Motivations | Reference literature |
To be promoters of a new way of doing business; Competitive advantage over competitors; Creation of new partnerships; Improvement of the working environment. | [41] |
Greater impact on customers and suppliers; Facilitate hiring. | [39] |
Demand from the market; Improvement of the image and reputation; Achievement of economic benefits; Brand protection. | [17] |
Presence of incentives at regional or local level; Improvement of the efficiency of business management. | [24] |
Enterprise risk management. | [15] |
Benefits | Reference literature |
Achievement of economic benefits; Improvement of the relationship with employees. | [17,26] |
Reduction of risks at work. | [15,17] |
Reduction of labor conflicts; Reduction in absenteeism; Increase in staff motivation. | [56] |
Improvement of corporate image and reputation; Improvement of productivity and management efficiency; Achievement of a competitive advantage over competitors. | [24] |
Increase in transparency towards stakeholders; Improvement in customer loyalty; Development and consolidation of partnerships; Greater control over the supply chain. | [59] |
Barriers | Reference literature |
Need of investments. | [17,38] |
Management training; Staff training. | [38] |
Establishment of an internal health and security supervision; Adaptation of working conditions; Recruitment of staff with disabilities; Promoting of equal opportunities. | [17,30] |
Business 1 | Business 2 | Business 3 | Business 4 | Business 5 | Business 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income | 11–50 million $ | 11–50 million $ | 11–50 million $ | 1–10 million $ | 1–10 million $ | < 1 million $ |
Number of employees | > 250 Large Business (LB) | > 250 Large Business (LB) | 50–249 Medium Business (MB) | 50–249 Medium Business (MB) | 50–249 Medium Business (MB) | 10–49 Small Business (SB) |
Reference markets | International markets | International markets | International markets | International markets | International markets | International markets |
Geographical areas in which the company operates | Europe, North/Center/ South America | Europe, North/Center/ South America | Europe | Europe, North America | Australia, Europe, North/Center/ South America | Europe |
Certification period for SA 8000 | 13 years (2005) | 4 years (2014) | 1 years (2017) | 10 years (2008) | 3 years (2015) | 6 years (2012) |
Business 1 | Business 2 | Business 3 | Business 4 | Business 5 | Business 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 years (LB) | 4 years (LB) | 1 year (MB) | 10 years (MB) | 3 years (MB) | 6 years (SB) | |
Creation of new partnerships | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Not at all important |
Competitive advantage over competitors | Indifferent | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Very important |
Greater impact on customers and suppliers | Very important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of the working environment | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of the efficiency of business management | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of the image and reputation | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Achievement of economic benefits | Indifferent | Enough important | Enough important | Indifferent | Enough important | Few important |
Presence of incentives at regional or local level | Very important | Indifferent | Enough important | Indifferent | Indifferent | Not at all important |
To be promoters of a new way of doing business | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Not at all important |
Demand from the market | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Enterprise risk management | Very important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Few important |
Brand protection | Indifferent | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Few important |
Facilitate hiring | Enough important | Indifferent | Very important | Very important | Few important | Enough important |
Business 1 | Business 2 | Business 3 | Business 4 | Business 5 | Business 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 years (LB) | 4 years (LB) | 1 year (MB) | 10 years (MB) | 3 years (MB) | 6 years (SB) | |
Increase in staff motivation | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Enough important |
Increase in transparency towards stakeholders | Very important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Achievement of a competitive advantage over competitors | Enough important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Enough important | Very important |
Greater control over the supply chain | Enough important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Improvement in customer loyalty | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of the relationship with employees | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of corporate image and reputation | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
Improvement of productivity and management efficiency | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Few important |
Achievement of economic benefits | Enough important | Indifferent | Very important | Enough important | Enough important | Few important |
Reduction of labor conflicts | Indifferent | Indifferent | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Reduction of risks at work | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Reduction in absenteeism | Indifferent | Indifferent | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Few important |
Development and consolidation of partnerships | Enough important | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Enough important | Not at all important |
Business 1 | Business 2 | Business 3 | Business 4 | Business 5 | Business 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 years (LB) | 4 years (LB) | 1 year (MB) | 10 years (MB) | 3 years (MB) | 6 years (SB) | |
Need of investment | Indifferent | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Indifferent |
Management training | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Staff training | Enough important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Establishment of an internal health and security supervision | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Enough important | Enough important |
Recruitment of staff with disabilities | Indifferent | Indifferent | Very important | Very important | Indifferent | Very important |
Promoting of equal opportunities | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Adaptation of working conditions | Very important | Enough important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Enough important |
Business 1 | Business 2 | Business 3 | Business 4 | Business 5 | Business 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 years (LB) | 4 years (LB) | 1 year (MB) | 10 years (MB) | 3 years (MB) | 6 years (SB) | |
Presence of a CSR referent | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Role covered by the referent | Head of CSR | - | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | - |
Economic support actions/initiatives and projects with organizations or associations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Type of initiatives/ projects supported | 1. Research centres (medical field) 2. Environmental protection bodies | 1. Religious foundations 2. Voluntary associations 3. Cultural associations | 1. Sport associations 2. Voluntary associations 3. Environmental protection bodies | 1. City associations | 1. Voluntary associations | - |
Monitoring of social responsibility activities carried out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Communication to customers of their social commitment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Communication of responsible initiatives and practices through the use of the company website and social networks | Yes | Yes | Do not have web site and social networks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Realization of Social Report | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Realization of Sustainability Report | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Presence of other standard owned | ISO 9001 WRAP | EMAS III, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 | No | WRAP | ISO 9001 | No |
Global evaluation of the SA 8000 standard as CSR tool | Very useful | Enough useful | Enough useful | Very useful | Very useful | Very useful |
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Murmura, F.; Bravi, L. Developing a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy in India Using the SA 8000 Standard. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3481. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083481
Murmura F, Bravi L. Developing a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy in India Using the SA 8000 Standard. Sustainability. 2020; 12(8):3481. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083481
Chicago/Turabian StyleMurmura, Federica, and Laura Bravi. 2020. "Developing a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy in India Using the SA 8000 Standard" Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3481. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083481