CSR Analysis: A Reflection from Businesses and the Public in Thailand

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives have grown dramatically worldwide, no exception in export-oriented country like Thailand. Business sector now engages in a vast number of CSR initiatives. However, there is a lack of empirical research pertaining to CSR, typically in developing countries, wherein there are often questions about understanding of CSR, level of engagement, and lack of consumers’ support. This research attempts to investigate CSR in Thai context and attempts to, firstly, examine CSR from the business point of view; why and how businesses, implement CSRs. Second, to investigate public’s perception and expectation for the business to be “socially responsible”, and their decisions to exercise their purchasing power over the companies with and without CSR initiatives. Third, to investigate how businesses and the public communicate and connect with each other with regards to CSR initiatives. This research selected petroleum business as a focus of study. The combined qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. The research conducted semi-structured interview with the management of PTT Group and Shell (Thailand) and conducted survey on consumers’ side. This research confirms the necessity for businesses to engage in CSR. With stronger public awareness on CSR, businesses can no longer move on without being socially responsible. Evidently, this research finds that public has higher expectation towards firms to be socially responsible. They are willing to exercise their power to support companies that are socially responsible and are able to use their sanction to boycott companies that do not act in a socially responsible manner, especially when those two products of the similar quality are sold at the same price. In view of CSR communications, it is found that CSR communications to publics do have a critical impact on perception toward businesses. The respondents have significantly improved their perceptions towards the companies once they learnt more about the good causes that the companies contributed to the society.