Humanism as an Institutional Driver of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities

This publication demonstrates how human nature [humanism] explains the choice, institutionalization, and sustainability of CSR activities undertaken by an organization. By using historical case study approach/methodology, CSR-related data was collected from sustainability reports of four large multinational companies with footprints in Uganda and in other developing countries. These companies included: Toyota Motor Corporation Japan, and Toyota Uganda Ltd. (now, CFAO Motors Uganda); Unilever Plc, and Unilever Uganda Ltd.; Bewley’s Coffee and Tea Company; Spear Group of Companies, a franchise of The Mercedes-Benz Group AG. These companies were preferred because they had practised impactful CSR for between 25 years and over 75 years. The data sought reflected the personality of the company founders, directors, owners, or managers to investigate the notion that “a company’s CSR activities are no more than the founder’s or manager’s values or ethical principles”. We employed pattern matching, explanation building, and time series analysis. The key finding of this publication is that an organizations’ CSR activities are a clear reflection, transposition, and modification of the specific human being(s)’ histories, experiences, and moral commitments that drove the formation of these companies or their engagement in CSR-related aspects. However, these individuals must act through institutional establishments (e.g. foundations). The publication has concluded that, “humanism of CSR activities” may be interpreted by conceptualizing, theorizing, and marrying human nature into CSR debates. Also, institutional recruitment of a person in charge of CSR affairs (for example, a CSR Manager) should go beyond merely focusing on academic qualifications and experiences to include behavioural, psychological, and historical assessments into how the person’s life evolved in relation to CSR. The chapter adds on the body of knowledge on institutionalization of CSR, by condensing its findings into “The Humanism of CSR Model”. This model/framework can be used to reveal how CSR activities can be attributed to and traced back to human beings [Business owners, Directors, founders, & managers] yet they are portrayed as corporate/institutional behaviour. The models can henceforth be used by business owners, founders, and managers to transfer and sustain their CSR orientation to the next generation of staff, managers, and directors, without largely distorting the original CSR DNA of the organization.