Poverty Reduction through Corporate Social Responsibility: Case Study of Peruvian Rural Families

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper's subject is interesting and fits with the aim of Sustainability, but the form needs to be improved.

The authors should have all the time in mind, starting from the Abstract section until the Conclusions section, to put in value two elements:

 1. The originality of their research

2. The implications of the study for poverty reduction in Peruvian rural families

 

The abstract section shifts the focus of the research study by emphasizing different variables, which is confusing and does not attract a reader to read further. The sentence structure needs careful re-structuring and re-writing. The research ideas could have been more effective through elaborative and concise sentences. The abstract does not provide a brief account of the work and conclusion of the research study. It needs to be more structured and synthesized for research clarity.

 

The authors mention 'Sustainable Development Goals' as a keyword but do not use it as a strategic element to underline their research's originality. 

In the Introduction section, the authors should provide additional literature to support the research and explain why it is important for this research study.

 

The Literature Review section could have represented an engaged and lively foundation from which the study is derived, thus supporting the research findings. Therefore, this section could be improved by a critical dialog of references.

 

It is important to provide a brief description of the methods of data employed and their application and appropriateness for data analysis.

The results were not well-presented to readers to understand the focus of the research study. Therefore, the results must be interpretive rather than just descriptive and connect the research results with relevant literature citations for validity and reliability.

 

The Discussion is not well-presented, as it does not integrate with the research study's results to provide a coherent scholarly argument.

 

The source of Figure 1. A conceptual framework to reduce poverty through CSR is missing.

The title of Figure 1. The conceptual framework to reduce poverty through CSR does not reflect the content of the figure because it is not a 'conceptual framework.'

To improve the Discussion section, we suggest reading the following sources:

Jiménez Aliaga, R.; De los Ríos-Carmenado, I.; San Martín Howard, F.; Calle Espinoza, S.; Huamán Cristóbal, A. Integration of the Principles of Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems CFS-RAI from the Local Action Groups: Towards a Model of Sustainable Rural Development in Jauja, Peru. Sustainability 2022, 14, 9663. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159663

Burley-Schiopoiu, A., Idowu, S., Vertigas, St., 2017. Corporate Social Responsibility in Times of Crisis: A Summary, Springer.

Burlea-Schiopoiu, A., Popa, O. 2013. World Bank (sep article on IFC policy environment sustainability), in Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility, Editors Samuel O. Idowu, Nicholas Capaldi, Liangrong Zu, Ananda das Gupta, pp. 2727-2735, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_585

 

The authors should include the key focus of the study in conclusion. 

The research data does not support the conclusions, which does not indicate a more straightforward path for future studies on the topic.

A follow-up of restated results with supporting literature reviews could make the conclusion section more effective.

 

Good luck!

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 1

Thank you for your valuable observation and suggestions that have permitted us to prepare this new version.  

We are attaching our responses to your observations and suggestions.

Best regards,

The authors

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The selection and workload of the manuscript are excellent, and it is an exciting study. However, there are some problems with the grammar of the manuscript. Also, the biggest problem is that it is not logical and lacks the structure of an academic paper. Therefore, a normative revision is recommended.

Introduction

1. This section lacked logic in many parts. The literature and data introduce the problem, but the process lacks linguistic articulation. And many citations in the paper are inappropriate. The references lack doi.

2. The introduction simply lists existing scholarly research and does not summarize and identify research gaps.

3. Be sure to explain what is innovative about this study.

4. This section also needs to explain the structure of the study, a brief introduction to the methodology (data triangulation), the framework arrangement of the article, etc.

Authors need to look carefully at the requirements for writing academic papers.

Possible source1：https://explorable.com/how-to-write-an-introduction

Source 2:The author cites this article several times. Then the structure of this manuscript's writing, etc., can be precise as this one is structured.

Source 2:The author cites this article several times. Then the structure of this manuscript's writing, etc., can be precise as this one is structured.

Kao, T.-Y., Chen, J. C. H., Wu, J.-T. B., and Yang, M.-H. (2016) Poverty Reduction through Empowerment for Sustainable Development: A Proactive Strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Mgmt., 23: 140– 149. doi: 10.1002/csr.1365.

 

5. The manuscript does not adequately describe CSR. There are many aspects of the impact of CSR. They should be summarized and cited according to the topic of this study. However, some general concepts should be elaborated on as well. It is recommended to read the following articles to get a better overview of CSR and to see the structure of the paper.

Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social responsibility (CSR): The role of CSR communication. International journal of management reviews, 12(1), 8-19.

Ali, W., Frynas, J. G., & Mahmood, Z. (2017). Determinants of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in developed and developing countries: A literature review. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 24(4), 273-294.

Yoon, Y., Gürhan-Canli, Z., & Schwarz, N. (2006). The effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on companies with bad reputations. Journal of consumer psychology, 16(4), 377-390.

Wang, X.; Zhang, Z.; Chun, D. The Influencing Mechanism of Internal Control Effectiveness on Technological Innovation: CSR as a Mediator. Sustainability 2021, 13, 13122. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313122

6. Hence, it can be deduced that Peruvians are more likely to fall into poverty and that they would not reach a per capita spending level above the vulnerability line. （33-35）.

This conclusion was reached too abruptly. Also the manuscript should have introduced some concepts and criteria for poverty determination. In particular, the criteria of poverty determination for Peruvian rural families.

 

 

Literature Review

1.2.1. Poverty.

Whether the relevant literature on methods of poverty reduction can be added. Then explain the importance of reduction through CSR.

2.2.3. Corporate Social Responsibility and poverty reduction

This section needs to focus on the mechanism of CSR's role in poverty reduction. It would be useful to explain clearly how there are several ways, what exactly they are, and how they are differentiated and defined. Having only one literature to support such an important point is not enough. This would also set the stage for the case results that follow. The existing content is too unclear, only the largest classification is presented, and the turnaround is quick.

 

For example： "135：Regarding the improvement of their skills, Sen…."   

Their is who？

 

3. The manuscript does not explain the relationship between CSR and consumption.

159：From the perspective of access to markets, people remain poor because they have not 15

been able to increase their consumption [40].

 

 

Methods

1.197：both levels above 15%

Why is 15%？

2. Two cases have been selected here. I think it is necessary to present Minera Yanacocha and Grupo Energético Aguaytía.

The presentation includes a basic introduction, focusing on the role and importance of the local economy and the possibility of their CSR implementation. Adequate presentation is necessary to demonstrate that the data selection is representative.

 

Results

1. 4.1 Figure 1. Conceptual framework to reduce poverty through CSR

Could Figure 1 be placed at the beginning of this chapter? This way, the reader can follow the ideas on the diagram.

2. Acquisition, improvement, and diversification of capabilities  278-288

It mentions how families can increase their capacity. Is this relevant to the CSR subject?

3. Table 2. Acquisition, improvement, and diversification of capabilities demonstrated by the families

The table presents three quotations and addresses the 3 forms of learning approaches and whether companies conduct CSR programs. But the manuscript does not state the effect of different learning styles on poverty reduction and no comments are made. By my reading, the possible discussion is after 430. This is too long an interval, which makes it difficult for the reader to read and summarize. This would make the appearance of the case just a mere appearance.

Therefore, it is recommended that the introduction of poverty reduction methods in Results are followed by comments that focus on the effectiveness of poverty reduction through CSR, always staying close to the paper's main topic.

The manuscript starts with many data, leading me to expect that this section will not have clear data on how creating CSR can reduce poverty. Considering that the manuscript uses a case approach, detailed data will not appear. But there should also be clear conclusions about what can or cannot be done, or conditional conclusions about under what circumstances it can or cannot be done.

 

Discussion

1. There are too many ideas in this section, although the discussion follows the results of the previous chapter. Consider starting each paragraph with a text to carry out the theme and conclusion of the paragraph and then elaborate on it.

2. The biggest problem with this section is that it does not state the innovation of the study.

3. This section lacks much of the structure of an academic paper, such as management implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

It is recommended that this section be reorganized in conjunction with the previous chapter.

 

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank for your valuable observations and suggestions that have permitted us to prepare this new version. 

We are attaching our responses to your observations and suggestions.

Best regards,

The authors 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Authors,

Please find attached my detailed comments about the article.

Best Regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank for your valuable observations and suggestions that have permitted us to prepare this new version. 

We are attaching our responses to your observations.

Best regards

The authors

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Table 1. Yanacocha’s social responsibility programs, Table 2. Aguaytía’s social responsibility programs, and Table 3. Initiatives undertaken by families to overcome poverty and pro-poor strategies carried out by the Yanacocha company – are not analyzed.

We suggest comparing Yanacocha’s social responsibility programs and Aguaytía’s social responsibility programs.

To improve the Discussion section, we suggest reading the following sources:

Jiménez Aliaga, R.; De los Ríos-Carmenado, I.; San Martín Howard, F.; Calle Espinoza, S.; Huamán Cristóbal, A. Integration of the Principles of Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems CFS-RAI from the Local Action Groups: Towards a Model of Sustainable Rural Development in Jauja, Peru. Sustainability 2022, 14, 9663. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159663

 

Burlea-Schiopoiu, A., Idowu, S., Vertigas, St., 2017. Corporate Social Responsibility in Times of Crisis: A Summary, Springer.

The relevance of the paper for theory and practice is not clearly underlined.

Good luck!

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank you for your valuable suggestions that have permitted us to prepare this new version.

We are attaching our responses to your suggestions

Best regards,

The authors

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Accept in present form

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 2

Thank you very much for accepting the manuscript for publication. The comments on the first version of the manuscript helped us a lot to improve the paper. Thanks again.

Happy a new year

The authors