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Ian W. Jones, Michael G. Pollitt and David Bek.
Hardback. 359 pages. Palgrave Macmillan. £57/$80.
At a time when it’s fashionable to dismiss philanthropic approaches to corporate social responsibility as outmoded and to treat business involvement in development with scepticism or even vitriol, this book is a lucid reminder of the importance of charitable projects in building the social capital of nations and communities, especially in developing countries.
Multinationals in their communities is based on a six-year research project at the University of Cambridge, the heart of which is an analysis of 13 corporate citizenship projects by four companies (Anglo American, Diageo, GSK and Vodafone) in Mexico, Poland and South Africa. There are also useful overviews of community engagement by multinationals in these nations, as well as statistics and rankings of corporate philanthropy in the UK and US.
The book is largely academic in its style and appeal; CSR scholars will be especially interested in the chapter on social capital theory and measurement. Practitioners in companies will more likely benefit from the concluding chapters on what makes a good project. They should also be able to draw comparisons with their own initiatives as they dip into the featured projects.
The book’s intentionally limited scope (in terms of geographic, corporate and subject coverage) is also its strength. The result is an important contribution to a largely neglected area. Furthermore, its laudable attempt to bridge the academic and corporate worlds (in which it very nearly succeeds) will certainly reward the dedicated reader.
Wayne Visser
Hardback. 359 pages. Palgrave Macmillan. £57/$80.
At a time when it’s fashionable to dismiss philanthropic approaches to corporate social responsibility as outmoded and to treat business involvement in development with scepticism or even vitriol, this book is a lucid reminder of the importance of charitable projects in building the social capital of nations and communities, especially in developing countries.
Multinationals in their communities is based on a six-year research project at the University of Cambridge, the heart of which is an analysis of 13 corporate citizenship projects by four companies (Anglo American, Diageo, GSK and Vodafone) in Mexico, Poland and South Africa. There are also useful overviews of community engagement by multinationals in these nations, as well as statistics and rankings of corporate philanthropy in the UK and US.
The book is largely academic in its style and appeal; CSR scholars will be especially interested in the chapter on social capital theory and measurement. Practitioners in companies will more likely benefit from the concluding chapters on what makes a good project. They should also be able to draw comparisons with their own initiatives as they dip into the featured projects.
The book’s intentionally limited scope (in terms of geographic, corporate and subject coverage) is also its strength. The result is an important contribution to a largely neglected area. Furthermore, its laudable attempt to bridge the academic and corporate worlds (in which it very nearly succeeds) will certainly reward the dedicated reader.
Wayne Visser
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