MNEs’ regional headquarters and their CSR agenda in the African context

Abstract

Purpose – Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can provide a mechanism for tapping into the vast consumer markets of developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how regional headquarters (RHQs) of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Africa pursue CSR and whether their initiatives are aligned with their own global CSR agendas or tailored to local idiosyncrasies. Design/methodology/approach – Following a secondary data analysis of MNEs’ CSR and sustainability reports and their homepages, in-depth interviews with their CSR managers in African RHQs are conducted. Findings – The paper provides insights into motivations of RHQs to pursue specific CSR initiatives. MNEs need to make considerable adaptations to their global CSR agendas in order to develop initiatives that fit the local setting. The authors further identify key institutions in developing countries and discuss the potential of collaborations with MNEs in their CSR initiatives. Research limitations/implications – Fu...