Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Lebanese banks :antecedents and role of employees -

Abstract

This project examines the drivers of corporate social responsibility in Lebanese banks and the selection of socially responsible initiatives. It also studies the role of employees in setting and implementing the corporate social responsibility strategy. The study is qualitative and is based on one-to-one interviews with five (5) CSR officials and one (1) Human Resources employee in five (5) Lebanese Banks. Based on the findings, several antecedents drive CSR in the banks under study including globalization, legal requirements, public image, financial performance, consumer actions, employee power and shareholder demand. With respect to CSR selection, some banks initiate CSR initiatives in the field, some seek feedback in a bottom-up approach while others seek feedback in a top-bottom approach. CSR was found also to be categorized as philanthropic giving, re-engineering of the supply chain or transforming the eco-system depending on the strategy adopted. The study also refers to the core-periphery approach to explore the methods that banks select when adding new initiatives. Findings reveal that out of the seven (7) patterns, patching, thickening, relabeling, trimming and cooperating are mostly practiced. With respect to the role of employees, results show that four (4) out of five (5) banks engage employees in CSR decision-making but all five (5) banks encourage employees to implement the related practices. Employee communication occurs through emails, meetings, telephone calls, surveys, suggestion boxes and the intranet. Employee engagement occurs through volunteering programs or through marketing of CSR-related products and services or events.