دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی شهرک های سیاسی، صنعت معدن و مسئولیت اجتماعی شرکت ها در کشورهای در حال توسعه- الزویر 2018

ABSTRACT

In this paper I take a ‘political settlements’ approach to examining the political effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries. The political settlements approach uses an integrated understanding of politics, power and institutional forms to explain how, given different political processes and incentives, the same institutional forms can produce different economic and developmental outcomes. I apply this lens to the CSR practices of large mining companies in developing countries, examining their impacts on local and national political settlements using the Zambian metals mining sector as a case study. Directly, CSR features little in the national debate on natural resource governance in Zambia but local CSR activity is considerable. I find that the CSR practices of large metals mining companies influence the governance of extraction and the possibility of inclusive development with notable consequences for institutions of traditional leadership. The resulting pattern of inclusion and development is argued to result from the interaction of two processes - elite bargaining and coalitions within exclusionary political settlements on the one hand, and CSR practices shaped by risk management on the other. I conclude by arguing that political settlements literature offers a rich seam for future research in the extractive sector if its limitations are addressed.

Conclusion

This paper has addressed the questions of 1) How do the CSR practices of mining companies affect local and national political settlements? And, (2) How do political settlements help us understand the politics of CSR? The paper began by outlining elements of the political settlements approach and applying this to the mining sector and corporate social responsibility. The framework was then applied to Zambia to describe the CSR activities of mining companies and explore their national and local impacts. The following discussion highlighted the consequences of CSR for governance and inclusion arguing that, within the context of exclusionary political settlements, the practices of mining companies can reduce the potential for change and inclusive development. CSR spending was, in many cases, aimed at maintaining the status quo. Seeking to reduce risk to investments and produce operational stability in a context of considerable economic and environmental upheaval, CSR practices do little to challenge, and can work to entrench, clientalist political settlements. There are many institutional and contextual limitations placed on the ability of CSR programmes to deliver development for affected communities. The opportunities CSR programmes afford are aimed at those with the greatest capacity to disrupt operations rather than those with the greatest need. They can therefore produce new forms of inclusion and exclusion - including those with holding power and excluding others with less holding power. The cases studied were characterised by their exclusive, rather than inclusive, development.