Debating stakeholder reciprocity: understanding the stakeholders’ duties in corporate social responsibility in a Zimbabwean mining town

Abstract

The limited understanding of the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and development is attributed to the overemphasis on the actions and inactions of corporations without focusing on other core issues such as stakeholder reciprocity. The point of departure for this study is that although it is well acknowledged that stakeholders have rights which must be respected, it must also be noted that they have duties they have to fulfil which have direct implications on the firm. As a result of such arguments, this study assesses how reciprocal relationships between the corporation and CSR stakeholders affect or impact on the failures or success of CSR projects meant for development purposes. The major corporation in this study is Zimplats mining company, the community is Mhondoro-Ngezi, and the stakeholders are clearly identified in the study. Using a triangulated design, this study noted that despite Zimplats operating with an integrated CSR framework that acknowledges stakeholders such as local leaders, government, politicians and community members, there is little evidence to suggest the reciprocal contributions made by these stakeholders towards the realization of CSR objectives. Therefore the resulting factor is that CSR initiatives fail to address the developmental concerns of the various stakeholders. The study concludes that there is a crisis of reciprocity in the CSR process in Mhondoro-Ngezi and that a situation where the conceptualization of local development needs and the deployment of specific development tools seem to be driven by one stakeholder almost to the exclusion of all others can only present contradictory development outcomes.