Understanding actions of corporate social responsibility : A comparative case study of Swedish corporations’ CSR practices in Mexico

Sammanfattning: There are many global incentives addressing the rising power of corporations and their social responsibility for society’s well-being. Given that no legal mechanism can enforce corporations to conduct socially responsible business, driving forces to implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vary significantly in the business sector. The purpose of this study is to understand how Swedish corporations in Mexico anticipate social responsibility in relation to the Mexican national context, using CSR as a point of reference. The research is based on a comparative case study approach to assess the perception of the chosen cases: Epiroc, Essity and Scania. The theoretical framework merges research about CSR and the social power of business. A qualitative content analysis supplemented with semi-structured interviews are utilized to encompass key denominators for social engagement. The results outline how CSR predominantly is perceived as a mandatory commitment to management of corporate impacts. The results also show that the stakeholder responsiveness in CSR serves as a strategic business purpose. In addition, findings highlight how motives for engaging in CSR are tied to international standards, yet activities conducted under the flag of social concerns often serve to safeguard the corporate image. Moreover, corporate policies are contingent by international standards while practices aligning to the local Mexican perception of CSR as philanthropy, illuminating a dissonance in policy and practice among the Swedish corporations.