Article2009

Corporate social reporting in Malaysia: a case of mimicking the West or succumbing to local pressure

97 citations0/0 files storedSocial Responsibility Journal

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Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Management and Organizational Studies Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Abstract

Purpose The primary objective of this paper is to explore and interpret the perceptions and motives of selected Malaysian managers on CSR by using Institutional theory. Design/methodology/approach The paper attempts to explain the local CSR trend by interviewing senior managers from selected companies who have been identified as good reporters. The interview findings are analysed systematically and narrated in order to capture the spontaneity and candidness of the reporters' feelings on CSR practices and motives. The data are than interpreted through the lens of institutional theory. Findings Despite low level of awareness of CSR, there is an increasing trend of reporters. A popular reason given by the respondents to explain this paradox is the need to follow the reporting trend, echoing the finding of an earlier study by Mohamad Zain. By following the reporting trend, the companies expect to be accepted as one of the international players. This mimetic action taken by some of the companies reflects the pressure of globalisation where social and environmental issues have taken centre stage. Based on the overall findings, the rising trend in the number of reporters can only find its explanation in western mimicry. Practical implications The study uncovers some of the motives for the adoption of CSR by companies in developing countries. Rather than relying on the western experience of CSR, which is well published in established journals, this study provides useful and unique insights into a developing country's CSR experience that can be used as a trajectory to understand the experiences of developing countries as a whole. Originality/value This paper offers an important insight about the CSR practices through the institutional theory perspective.

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References

2004The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields 1990Qualitative evaluation and research methods 1983An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change.1995Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches 2008Qualitative Data Analysis 1990Qualitative evaluation and research methods, 2nd ed.1995Institutions and organizations 1996Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

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