Corporate Social Responsibility Applied for Rural Development: An Empirical Analysis of Firms from the American Continent

Miguel Arato, Stijn Speelman and Guido Van Huylenbroeck
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Miguel Arato: Department of Agricultural Economics, Gent University, Gent 9000, Belgium
Stijn Speelman: Department of Agricultural Economics, Gent University, Gent 9000, Belgium
Guido Van Huylenbroeck: Department of Agricultural Economics, Gent University, Gent 9000, Belgium

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility has been recognized by policymakers and development specialists as a feasible driver for rural development. The present paper explores both theoretically and empirically how firms involved in CSR provide development opportunities to rural communities. The research first evaluates the applied literature on the implementation of CSR by private firms and policymakers as means to foster sustainable rural development. The empirical research analyses the CSR activities of 100 firms from a variety of industries, sizes, and countries to determine the type of companies who are involved in rural development and the kind of activities they deployed. Results from the empirical research show that although rural development initiatives are not relevant for all types of companies, a significant number of firms from a variety of industries have engaged in CSR programs supporting rural communities. Firms appear to be interested in stimulating rural development and seem to benefit from it. This paper also includes an exploration of the main challenges and constraints that firms encounter when encouraging rural development initiatives.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility; sustainability; rural development; responsible value chains; Americas; United Nations global compact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:1:p:102-:d:62662

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