Corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers' skills and competencies : the best cases in Thailand | |
| Author | Nadhakan Shinnaranantana |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-19-07 |
| Subject(s) | Social responsibility of business--Thailand--Case studies Corporate Social Responsibility |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has currently captivated interests from academics and practitioners alike. Several corporations had been charged and alleged of lacking CSR which led to serious socio-economic and environmental problems and hence make business sustainability vulnerable. CSR has increasingly influenced business strategy and practices. CSR managers realize that specific skills and competencies are required to solve problems of both short-term and long-term in nature. However, to date, there is no documentation of competency framework specified for CSR tasks. Most companies realized that managers playa vital role in CSR and firms need to assign skilled managers responsible for CSR to gain high standard ofCSR at the national and international levels. Previous research tended to focus more on the relationship of CSR and organization reputation, how to integrate CSR into main stream business, and CSR activities of the companies. Nonetheless, the research about improvement of specific skills and competencies of CSR practitioners is lacking especially, the CSR managers. This study intends to explore in-depth the skills and competencies necessary for CSR managers. This research aims to describe CSR meaning within the company contexts and to identify CSR skills and competencies required by the sample firms. It intends to develop a competency framework in the area of social responsibility and strategy for integrating CSR into the corporate mainstream business. Six research questions are posed: What do CSR skills and competencies mean? What are CSR activities generally practiced by business organizations? What are skills and competencies needed for CSR tasks? What are the CSR skills and competencies do Thai corporate managers need? How can business organizations integrate corporate social responsibility into their mainstream business strategy? And finally, what is a suitable CSR competency framework for corporations? The case study approach is applied in this qualitative study. The four best-practices sample cases are Thai corporations substantially engaged in social responsibility which had received continuous CSR awards. These are: Siam Cement Group (SCG), Siam City Cement Corporation (SCCC), Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and Bangchak Corporation Public Co. (BCP). In-depth interviews were conducted with managers, experts, and practitioners who are in charge with CSR tasks in each sample corporations to collect data and information. In addition, data and information from annual reports, SO reports or CSR reports as well as company website were also collected and analyzed as a secondary data. The research results show that specific required skills and competencies of CSR managers can be separated into two main categories, namely, core competencies and functional competencies. The four sample leading Thai corporations have their clear vision, mission and values on social responsibility and sustainability and also' clear CSR definitions. They all recognize the importance and beneficial role ofCSR that has to be integrated into corporate strategy. Finally, based on the analyses of the sample cases, a competency framework of CSR is developed. The model includes four domains of competencies; fundamental business, managerial, personal attributes and inter-personal competencies. This research study contributes to the CSR body of knowledge by defining CSR skills and competencies needed and required by managers. Moreover, the linkage between CSR and HRM is very important in developing the CSR professions by selecting, recruiting, and training, and promoting employees to become CSR professionals and have superior CSR practices and enhance corporate reputation and image. In addition, this study provides some strategic directive for the organization strategy by developing the competencies framework for the CSR profession. These capabilities are required for individuals responsible for CSR and can be improved through learning by doing in the real work life and from demands of the different stakeholders, situations, and environment. The significant implication from this research is that for CSR to be integrated into mainstream business strategy, CSR managers are important agents of change in motivating staff at all levels of the company, from top executives through to new employees. All four companies appear to display clarity of vision regarding the integration of social responsibility and sustainability, with strong commitment from the highest levels of management, including CEOs, high levels of employee participation, and clear CSR frameworks, although they differ in how CSR is integrated and implemented. |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management (SOM) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Management (Publication code = SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sununta Siengthai; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Vatcharapol Sukhotu;Zimmerman, Willi;Teerapat Sanguankotchakorn; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Kasetsart University Bangkok, Thailand;Royal Thai Government Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019 |