An Audit of What Corporate Social Responsibility Means in Selected Ghana Club 100 Companies

Abstract

There has been numerous contestations about what CSR really means for a very long time. Scholars have acknowledged the definition, practice and meaning of CSR keeps evolving with time. In Ghana, CSR is seen as building sustainable livelihoods and finding business opportunities. In the midst of a growing number of studies in CSR in Ghana, very little studies have dedicated time to CSR among the Ghana Club 100 companies. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the forms, motivations and theoretical applications of CSR among MTN, Newmont Ghana Gold and Guinness Ghana Breweries. The purpose was to investigate the CSR forms of these companies and to compare the findings to have a group understanding of CSR practice in Ghana. MTN, Newmont Ghana Gold and Guinness Ghana Breweries were purposely sampled. Data was gathered through document analysis using thematic coding sheets. The study revealed that companies place importance on ethical and environmental CSR, they are motivated mostly by the ownership values, organisational culture and global regulations, and applied the Carroll CSR pyramid model to their CSR activities. The study recommends for the companies to consider engaging the community members in which they operate to create economic avenues and engage in social uplifting programmes to help reduce poverty.