Corporate Social Responsibility in Tanzania: Challenges and Opportunities
Résumé
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a buzzword for the environmental movement and development initiatives alike; and with the increasing frequency of CSR programs being implemented in all forms of business, the question arises as to the feasibility of “economic prosperity, environmental quality and social justice” (i.e., the “triple bottom line”). This question is particularly salient as companies are beginning to collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social activists, governments, international organizations and even citizens on numerous initiatives to improve the social responsibility of industry practices. A recent initiative pairs Unilever with the Rainforest Alliance in an effort to certify all of Unilever’s tea supply as “sustainable” by 2010. This case provides an opportunity to examine this particular form of CSR and postulate the possible outcomes based on a theoretical framework that draws from the ecological modernization (EMT) literature and the political economy perspective (PEP) or eco-marxist tradition.