A qualitative study on leadership and corporate social responsibility in an emerging economy

Abstract

The previous research relating to CSR and mindfulness leadership, for the purposes of this study, provides an intersection where both backgrounds come together to invite an opportunity for collaboration. The most critical factor in the implementation of CSR is the development of leaders for a sustainable global society as mindfulness should be relevant to the achievement of organizational and leadership objectives. It is here that we find the inspiration for the current study and the relevance of the research query endeavoring to discover if the framework of mindfulness leadership could prove an effective driver for CSR? For this reason, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted from the middle level managers working in an emerging economy - Pakistan. The conceptual framework of leadership theory guided this study’s investigation as it brought to the forefront certain challenges facing organizational leaders endeavoring to facilitate CSR objectives; and explored if the application of mindfulness leadership could prove an effective leadership framework for successful CSR engagement. This supporting data coupled with the study’s interview of executive leaders, across industry lines, familiar with CSR initiatives, lent to certain analytical insight that identified mindfulness leadership as a framework for organizations to facilitate the accomplishment of CSR objectives.