The influence of national culture on corporate social responsibility in the Ethiopian mining sector

Abstract

This study examines the influence of national culture on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the community activities in Ethiopia's mining sector. We adopted a mixed method with quantitative data collected from 250 middle and top-level managers and qualitative data collected from 25 top-level CSR managers. The findings reveal that national culture variables such as religion, language, and collectivism significantly influence the CSR activities of mining companies while, power distance and masculinity have an insignificant influence on the CSR activities of the mining companies. Additionally, the qualitative data indicates that cultural values such as ‘yilugnta/Mahberawinuro’ and individual characteristics such as owners' generosity influence the CSR activities of mining companies. CSR is context specific and both business owners/managers and policymakers ought to place more emphasis on national cultural values when developing and implementing company policies and national CSR frameworks, respectively.