The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how a subsidiary of a multi-national corporation (MNC) achieved a social licence, in a Sub-Saharan host country undergoing agrarian transformation. Several foreign companies lost their land to communities in the wake of land conflicts between the legal owners and surrounding communities. However, this is a case of one of a few big landowners that have survived and continued to operate, without suffering substantial vandalism from communities. The study argues this to be an instrumental case of achieving and maintaining a social licence in a context characterised by heighted resource nationalism sentiments. Extant literature acknowledges that communities’ expectations are rising, rendering a legal licence insufficient. Emphasis is on the need for firms reliant on finite natural resources, such as land, to seek a social licence from communities. Yet, the processes through which such a licence could be achieved and maintained are little understood. The social licence is conceptually and theoretically underdeveloped. Anchoring on legitimacy theory, this study looks across two literatures on social licence and corporate community engagement. It empirically demonstrates how and under what conditions corporate community engagement processes deliver phases of a social licence. An embedded case study is utilised to capture processes from the perspective of both the firm and the community. The study advances theory of social licence by exploring the processes of an instrumental firm in an understudied but critical agriculture industry. The study identified transactional, transitional and transformational engagement processes, as essential in building legitimacy and trust which are the basis of dynamic phases of social licence. The researcher proposes three new constructs: context specific community expectations, engagement legitimacy, and corporate community visibility, to advance scholarship on social licencing processes. The study distinguishes firm legitimacy from engagement legitimacy. This paves way for future studies to further develop these concepts in social licence process research. Managers in agriculture and other extractive firms will use the theory built from this study to understand how they can achieve social licence at various levels, thereby mitigating the high social risk associated with losing a social licence. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / DPhil / Unrestricted

This thesis makes a new contribution to the field of corporate social responsibility in the area of corporate community engagement (CCE) and public relations in the area of organization-public relationships (OPRs). The thesis focuses on the Nigerian oil and gas industry community relationship in the Niger Delta region. This study provides valuable insights into how CCE works for enhancing stakeholder relationship and other desirable outcomes and thereby contributes to the growing body of knowledge on CSR in public relations. For the practice of CCE, this study reinforces the importance of relationship management as a viable and robust strategy that can bring long-term benefits both to organizations and society in general. A qualitative approach was adopted as it is considered appropriate for the research, which focuses on assessing stakeholders’ views regarding the relationship between oil and gas company and their host community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Also, exploring how the stakeholders juxtapose their understanding of the relationship determinants between the oil and gas company and their host community. Semi-structured interviews served as the primary source of data collection from various stakeholders during fieldwork in Nigeria. Secondary methods served a crucial but minor role and were used primarily for the purpose of the researcher as a tool to double check the interview findings. Thirty-five respondents provided their views and opinions concerning the relationship between the oil and gas companies and communities in the region. The study uncovered the importance of culture, social awareness, social identity, corruption, insecurity, mediation and weak institutional structures as crucial predictors of relationship determinants for the oil and gas companies during engagement with their host communities. Moreover, this study explored the research on relationship success determinants key constructs (i.e. control mutuality, trust, commitment and satisfaction) to a qualitative assessment. Also, the developed framework emphasised the need for using these factors for assessing and building a successful long term relationship. Another key finding was that there is a significant difference between how multinational oil companies (MNOCs) and indigenous oil companies (INOCs) engage with the community. This finding suggests that the INOCs have a better approach in the engagement of host communities.

An emphasis on citizen engagement, which has direct bearing on conservation and community organizations, is emerging within the corporate realm. Businesses are beginning to view local involvement as a strategic component of their corporate social responsibility mandates, suggesting that it provides win-win benefits in branding them as leaders in the field while advancing noteworthy causes. Concurrently, conservation groups are seeking to partner with corporations in an effort to diversify funding sources, accomplish much needed work and find creative methods for outreach to a “non- traditional” support base. This research explores employer supported volunteer initiatives, an emerging facet of corporate community engagement where businesses form alliances with community organizations to facilitate donation of staff time to carry out hands-on conservation activities. Using a literature review, a series of global case examples and data collected from key local (Ontario-based) conservation and corporate-based informants, this study assesses the challenges and opportunities associated with cross-sectoral collaboration while investigating the potential of employer supported volunteer programs to foster conservation stewardship. Respondents from both sectors face such challenges as finding or maintaining suitable contacts, organizing team volunteer opportunities with mutually beneficial outcomes and understanding each other’s frames of reference. Despite these hurdles, they also realize that employer supported volunteerism can raise awareness about stewardship and the importance of volunteerism in general, provide opportunities for enhanced collaboration and demonstrate leadership in the arena of corporate social responsibility. Collective experience from both sectors provides the basis to determine thirteen principles for effective partnerships. Accompanied by a set of best practices to forward conservation programs, these principles supply an essential “how to” guide for cross-sectoral partners to work together effectively. The implementation of these principles will assist in providing a stepping stone to tap more fully into the potential for joint partnership and even garner greater capacity for stewardship than could be achieved by civil society or corporate players alone.

An emphasis on citizen engagement, which has direct bearing on conservation and community organizations, is emerging within the corporate realm. Businesses are beginning to view local involvement as a strategic component of their corporate social responsibility mandates, suggesting that it provides win-win benefits in branding them as leaders in the field while advancing noteworthy causes. Concurrently, conservation groups are seeking to partner with corporations in an effort to diversify funding sources, accomplish much needed work and find creative methods for outreach to a “non- traditional” support base. This research explores employer supported volunteer initiatives, an emerging facet of corporate community engagement where businesses form alliances with community organizations to facilitate donation of staff time to carry out hands-on conservation activities. Using a literature review, a series of global case examples and data collected from key local (Ontario-based) conservation and corporate-based informants, this study assesses the challenges and opportunities associated with cross-sectoral collaboration while investigating the potential of employer supported volunteer programs to foster conservation stewardship. Respondents from both sectors face such challenges as finding or maintaining suitable contacts, organizing team volunteer opportunities with mutually beneficial outcomes and understanding each other’s frames of reference. Despite these hurdles, they also realize that employer supported volunteerism can raise awareness about stewardship and the importance of volunteerism in general, provide opportunities for enhanced collaboration and demonstrate leadership in the arena of corporate social responsibility. Collective experience from both sectors provides the basis to determine thirteen principles for effective partnerships. Accompanied by a set of best practices to forward conservation programs, these principles supply an essential “how to” guide for cross-sectoral partners to work together effectively. The implementation of these principles will assist in providing a stepping stone to tap more fully into the potential for joint partnership and even garner greater capacity for stewardship than could be achieved by civil society or corporate players alone.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / See the attached abstract below

Questionnaires translated into Shona / Mineral extraction is one of the key drivers of Africa’s economies and is also one of the largest industries in the world. In many African countries, including Zimbabwe, mining contributes to profound parts of the economy and remain the engine for economic growth. In recent years, and following the continual exploitation of minerals, mining companies have been scrutinized as a major cause of social, environmental, and economic problems faced mainly by communities at the margins. In this regard, mining companies are widely perceived to be prospering at the expense of adjacent communities, who are the primary recipients of the externalities, mainly negative, from mining operations. Due to incongruent stakeholder interests conflicts have erupted given the peculiar case of the extractive industries in Zimbabwe. Having realised the differences among stakeholder interests over minerals, in the extractive industry the study sought to answer this question: how is CCE understood by different stakeholders? And how is CCE measured by the same stakeholders?. The focus of the study is to evaluate the meaning of CCE from multiple stakeholders in the extractive industry in Zimbabwe; and to analyse how CCE is measured by identified stakeholders. In order to satisfy the stated objectives, the study employed mixed research method. This study revealed similarity in understanding of CCE and its usefulness amongst the different stakeholder groups. Of cognitive importance is the realisation by stakeholders on the need for proactive communities and corporate investment into community for effective partnerships. Collaboration, empowerment, inclusion, trust and organisation emerged to be the major facilitators for CCE. The study presents operative CCE according to the obligations and expectations of stakeholders. Having realised that mining industries are particularly susceptible to conflict between stakeholders, the study suggests proactive desire to mitigate these conflicts through CCE in the mining industry. In this respect, community development, peace and stability and strong economy are the major outcomes of effective CCE. The study recommends participation of resource owners in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation as well as dividends sharing of mining projects as advocated for by the CCE Model. It is also recommended that the adoption of the CCE Model will ensure a sustainable and harmonious coexistence between the predominantly capitalistic mining concerns and the resource owners and solve part of the current impasse to business and community development. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Questionnaires translated into Shona / Mineral extraction is one of the key drivers of Africa’s economies and is also one of the largest industries in the world. In many African countries, including Zimbabwe, mining contributes to profound parts of the economy and remain the engine for economic growth. In recent years, and following the continual exploitation of minerals, mining companies have been scrutinized as a major cause of social, environmental, and economic problems faced mainly by communities at the margins. In this regard, mining companies are widely perceived to be prospering at the expense of adjacent communities, who are the primary recipients of the externalities, mainly negative, from mining operations. Due to incongruent stakeholder interests conflicts have erupted given the peculiar case of the extractive industries in Zimbabwe. Having realised the differences among stakeholder interests over minerals, in the extractive industry the study sought to answer this question: how is CCE understood by different stakeholders? And how is CCE measured by the same stakeholders?. The focus of the study is to evaluate the meaning of CCE from multiple stakeholders in the extractive industry in Zimbabwe; and to analyse how CCE is measured by identified stakeholders. In order to satisfy the stated objectives, the study employed mixed research method. This study revealed similarity in understanding of CCE and its usefulness amongst the different stakeholder groups. Of cognitive importance is the realisation by stakeholders on the need for proactive communities and corporate investment into community for effective partnerships. Collaboration, empowerment, inclusion, trust and organisation emerged to be the major facilitators for CCE. The study presents operative CCE according to the obligations and expectations of stakeholders. Having realised that mining industries are particularly susceptible to conflict between stakeholders, the study suggests proactive desire to mitigate these conflicts through CCE in the mining industry. In this respect, community development, peace and stability and strong economy are the major outcomes of effective CCE. The study recommends participation of resource owners in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation as well as dividends sharing of mining projects as advocated for by the CCE Model. It is also recommended that the adoption of the CCE Model will ensure a sustainable and harmonious coexistence between the predominantly capitalistic mining concerns and the resource owners and solve part of the current impasse to business and community development. / Business Management / D.B.L.