title: Corporate social responsibility practices in a developing country: Empirical evidence from Sri Lanka

authors: Fernando, Susith Jude

subjects: Corporate Social Responsibility

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to extend the understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance and disclosure practices, particularly from a developing country perspective. The study captures deeply rooted sociocultural influences affecting the CSR practice by managers of Sri Lankan companies, and makes a comparison with findings from those of a developed country, New Zealand. It also provides empirical insights into how CSR practices are shaped by both local and global forces.

The empirical study of this thesis was carried out in two phases, adopting a mixed methodology approach. In the first phase, a questionnaire survey of listed companies was conducted to examine the current status quo of CSR practices. The questionnaire was adapted from one used in New Zealand, for comparative purposes. Following an interpretive paradigm in the second phase, follow-up interviews with senior managers were conducted and analysed to explore their own perspectives of adopting CSR practices.

In the questionnaire survey, it was found that environmental CSR practices are disappointing compared to socially-related CSR practices; corporate managers’ personal values significantly drive the adoption of CSR practices and such values are more significant than other drivers in Sri Lankan-owned companies than in foreign-owned companies. The results of the comparative analysis led to the conclusion that the level of economic development of a country could be a possible predictor for the level of CSR practices, although further research evidence would be required to confirm this conclusion. Through analysis of indepth interviews, five defining characteristics pertaining to the CSR practices in Sri Lanka were identified as themes. Legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and institutional theory were drawn on to explore these themes and the interview evidence was explained through these multitheoretical perspectives. The CSR behaviour of the companies with international connections can be explained by employing these mainstream CSR theories to a greater extent than is the case with local companies. The thesis argued that Sri Lankan managers are inspired and influenced by the Sri Lankan culture and traditions of philanthropic giving (dana) which historically flourished within Buddhist teachings and ethics. In Sri Lanka, what was once referred to as “philanthropy” has now been refashioned as “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility”.

There have been few studies of CSR practices in developing countries. Those that have been conducted have lacked engagement with the organisations involved and have rarely tested the applicability of mainstream CSR theories. As a response, this thesis contributes to the literature by extending theoretical and empirical understanding of CSR practices.

text: Corporate social responsibility practices in a developing country: Empirical evidence from Sri Lanka The purpose of this thesis is to extend the understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance and disclosure practices, particularly from a developing country perspective. The study captures deeply rooted sociocultural influences affecting the CSR practice by managers of Sri Lankan companies, and makes a comparison with findings from those of a developed country, New Zealand. It also provides empirical insights into how CSR practices are shaped by both local and global forces.

The empirical study of this thesis was carried out in two phases, adopting a mixed methodology approach. In the first phase, a questionnaire survey of listed companies was conducted to examine the current status quo of CSR practices. The questionnaire was adapted from one used in New Zealand, for comparative purposes. Following an interpretive paradigm in the second phase, follow-up interviews with senior managers were conducted and analysed to explore their own perspectives of adopting CSR practices.

In the questionnaire survey, it was found that environmental CSR practices are disappointing compared to socially-related CSR practices; corporate managers’ personal values significantly drive the adoption of CSR practices and such values are more significant than other drivers in Sri Lankan-owned companies than in foreign-owned companies. The results of the comparative analysis led to the conclusion that the level of economic development of a country could be a possible predictor for the level of CSR practices, although further research evidence would be required to confirm this conclusion. Through analysis of indepth interviews, five defining characteristics pertaining to the CSR practices in Sri Lanka were identified as themes. Legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and institutional theory were drawn on to explore these themes and the interview evidence was explained through these multitheoretical perspectives. The CSR behaviour of the companies with international connections can be explained by employing these mainstream CSR theories to a greater extent than is the case with local companies. The thesis argued that Sri Lankan managers are inspired and influenced by the Sri Lankan culture and traditions of philanthropic giving (dana) which historically flourished within Buddhist teachings and ethics. In Sri Lanka, what was once referred to as “philanthropy” has now been refashioned as “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility”.

There have been few studies of CSR practices in developing countries. Those that have been conducted have lacked engagement with the organisations involved and have rarely tested the applicability of mainstream CSR theories. As a response, this thesis contributes to the literature by extending theoretical and empirical understanding of CSR practices.

year: 2013

title: The gravity model of migration: the successful comeback of an ageing superstar in regional science

authors: Poot, Jacques

abstract: For at least half a century, and building on observations first made a century earlier, the gravity model has been the most commonly-used paradigm for understanding gross migration flows between regions. This model owes its success to, firstly, its intuitive consistency with migration theories; secondly, ease of estimation in its simplest form; and, thirdly, goodness of fit in most applications. While fitting gravity models of aggregate migration flows started taking backstage to microdata analysis in the 1980s, a recent comeback has resulted from increasing applications to international migration and from the emergence of statistical theories appropriate for studying spatial interaction. In this paper we review the status quo and argue for greater integration of internal and international migration modelling. Additionally we revisit the issues of parameter stability and distance deterrence measurement by means of a New Zealand case study. We argue that gravity modelling of migration has a promising future in a multi-regional stochastic population projection system —an area in which the model has been to date surprisingly underutilised. We conclude with outlining current challenges and opportunities in this field.

text: The gravity model of migration: the successful comeback of an ageing superstar in regional science For at least half a century, and building on observations first made a century earlier, the gravity model has been the most commonly-used paradigm for understanding gross migration flows between regions. This model owes its success to, firstly, its intuitive consistency with migration theories; secondly, ease of estimation in its simplest form; and, thirdly, goodness of fit in most applications. While fitting gravity models of aggregate migration flows started taking backstage to microdata analysis in the 1980s, a recent comeback has resulted from increasing applications to international migration and from the emergence of statistical theories appropriate for studying spatial interaction. In this paper we review the status quo and argue for greater integration of internal and international migration modelling. Additionally we revisit the issues of parameter stability and distance deterrence measurement by means of a New Zealand case study. We argue that gravity modelling of migration has a promising future in a multi-regional stochastic population projection system —an area in which the model has been to date surprisingly underutilised. We conclude with outlining current challenges and opportunities in this field.

year: 2016

title: Te rima tekau ngahurutanga o Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

authors: Dixon, Ngahuia

subjects: Tohu mātauranga

abstract: E te Whare Wānanga o Waikato – te tohu o te mātauranga, tēnā koe.  Tēnā koe i roto i tō rima tekau tau ngahurutanga.  Kua pakeke haere koe.  Kua tau atu koe ki tērā kaumātuatanga nō reira me mihi ka tika.  He hōnore nui tēnei mōu ake i te mea nāu te moana o mātauranga i roto o Waikato i tuku kia rere, kia pari, ka rere anō.  He wai marino ēnei i ētehi wā, he rehutai i ētehi atu,  he wā anō ka karekare, ka haruru rānei i te pai o te rere o āu mahi.  Ahakoa ēnei huringa o ngā awa o te wā, kei te rere tonu te moana nei, me ōna pikonga ki uru, ki rāwhiti, ki tonga, ki raki rānei, arā ki ngā pito katoa o te ao.  He mātauranga ēnei i tukuna e koe kia pīoioi i te ao.  Hei aha - hei whakawhānui ki te mātatoru o te tangata, he aha kei ō whare kōrero, hei whakakīkī haere i ā rātou kete mātauranga, ahakoa Māori, tauiwi huri noa.  Koinei ngā korowai mō ngā manu i kai i te mātauranga nāu i rumaki.   Ināianei arā te kōrero:

Nō rātou, nō mātou, nō tātou te ao 

E kore e mimiti ēnei huarahi tautoko āu, - nā mēnā ka tūwhera tonu tō ngākau ki ngā kete kōrero, mātauranga āku ake a ngāi-Māori, kei hea mai tō mana.

text: Te rima tekau ngahurutanga o Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato E te Whare Wānanga o Waikato – te tohu o te mātauranga, tēnā koe.  Tēnā koe i roto i tō rima tekau tau ngahurutanga.  Kua pakeke haere koe.  Kua tau atu koe ki tērā kaumātuatanga nō reira me mihi ka tika.  He hōnore nui tēnei mōu ake i te mea nāu te moana o mātauranga i roto o Waikato i tuku kia rere, kia pari, ka rere anō.  He wai marino ēnei i ētehi wā, he rehutai i ētehi atu,  he wā anō ka karekare, ka haruru rānei i te pai o te rere o āu mahi.  Ahakoa ēnei huringa o ngā awa o te wā, kei te rere tonu te moana nei, me ōna pikonga ki uru, ki rāwhiti, ki tonga, ki raki rānei, arā ki ngā pito katoa o te ao.  He mātauranga ēnei i tukuna e koe kia pīoioi i te ao.  Hei aha - hei whakawhānui ki te mātatoru o te tangata, he aha kei ō whare kōrero, hei whakakīkī haere i ā rātou kete mātauranga, ahakoa Māori, tauiwi huri noa.  Koinei ngā korowai mō ngā manu i kai i te mātauranga nāu i rumaki.   Ināianei arā te kōrero:

Nō rātou, nō mātou, nō tātou te ao 

E kore e mimiti ēnei huarahi tautoko āu, - nā mēnā ka tūwhera tonu tō ngākau ki ngā kete kōrero, mātauranga āku ake a ngāi-Māori, kei hea mai tō mana.

year: 2016