Multinational enterprises perceptions of the national corporate social responsibility priority issues in South Africa

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the perceptions of multinational enterprises (MNEs) representing four key economic sectors in South Africa regarding what the most important national corporate social responsibility (CSR) priority issues are for the country. This paper also investigates whether MNEs in South Africa are overwhelmed by the number of CSR issues in the country. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach was used. Thirty eight semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with CSR practitioners at MNEs in the banking and finance, manufacturing, mining and services sectors. Data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. Findings: The majority of participants in this study indicated that the top three CSR priorities for South Africa in order of importance are education, training and skills development; building and developing local communities and health care and wellness. Another significant finding was that MNEs indicated that there are too many CSR issues in South Africa. Research limitations/implications: The results of this study highlight the need for South Africa to develop a national CSR index which clearly articulates the top CSR priorities of the country. This study explored the views of MNEs from four economic sectors of the South African economy. This study can be expanded to incorporate other sectors. Practical implications: The findings of this study provide guidelines to MNEs and firms about the key CSR priorities for the country. Originality/value: As far as can be ascertained, this is the first study that seeks to identify the key national CSR priority issues for South Africa from the perspective of MNEs operating in the country. This study determines whether MNEs in South Africa are overwhelmed by the number of CSR issues that they are confronted with.