Corporate Social Responsibility in Ghana's National Development

Abstract

This article assesses the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities carried out by organizations in Ghana and how these activities tie into the government’s key focus areas of development. Documents relating to national development plans and the millennium development goals (MDGs) are reviewed and used as a baseline to assess the contributions of CSR activities to Ghana’s national development. The article uses a website analysis of companies’ CSR activities to assess the general practice of CSR in Ghana. Findings suggest that organizations in Ghana center their CSR initiatives mainly in line with the MDGs and aspects of earlier national development targets, rather than current national development goals put in place by Ghana’s governments, resulting in a neglect of significant development needs of the country. The researchers recommend that businesses strategically deploy their CSR activities to suit the peculiar developmental needs of the country.