Corporate social responsibility is increasingly becoming an important component of the business world. With growing scrutiny of commercial operations, businesses are increasingly being driven to satisfy the expectations of society in order to thrive. In essence, businesses adopting corporate social responsibility believe that by operating ethically and responsibly, they have a better opportunity of success. This thesis examines Lafarge Mining South Africa and its Ridgeview Quarry located in Durban, South Africa, in order to assess the contribution to social sustainability of corporate social responsibility practices in the resource extraction industry. Literature used for this research is compiled from concepts such as sustainable development, social sustainability, social justice, public participation, vulnerability and well-being and furthermore evaluates conventional arguments for corporate social responsibility. The methodology used for this research was based on a qualitative approach, where both secondary and primary data were used. The empirical materials needed for this research was collected through in-depth interviews conducted with stakeholders involved within the social upliftment programmes as well as discussions forums. Furthermore, purposive sampling was used for this study, as the study was concerned with individuals involved with the discussion forum and the social responsibility programmes. The thesis investigates the nature of public participation in the discussion forum with respect to social sustainability. With regards to the discussion forum, meetings were held intermittently, on an ad hoc basis, therefore affecting the degree to which total social sustainability was achieved in the decision-making process. However, it was found that when meetings were convened that the discussion forum was inclusive and in no way discouraged any form of participation from the community, hence contributing to some form of social sustainability. The research encompassed aspects of evaluation research, whereby summative evaluation and impact evaluation was used to summarise information and examine the outcomes of the two corporate social responsibility initiatives, namely; the education-related and the skills-related social upliftment programmes. The research evaluated these two programmes, in order to assess the degree to which social sustain ability was achieved. However these initiatives are a small part of the broader corporate social responsibility agenda. The key findings of the research were that social sustainability was very weak. Minimal difficulties were experienced by participants in the education-related social upliftment programme, where one of the challenges was to uplift learners from grassroots level (primary school level). However, with regards to the skills-related social upliftment programme, individuals participating in the project, experienced more difficulties than compared to those participating within the education-related social upliftment programme. Difficulties that arose with regards to the skills-related social upliftment programme were that Lafarge Mining South Africa reneged on certain material promises and showed no interest in monitoring how the programme was facilitated. Furthermore, participation in the programme did not secure any employment opportunities for the women. Thus corporate social responsibility has become a major focus of interest in society. Corporate social responsibility is not just a buzzword for businesses, it has developed into an invaluable tool for exploring ways to reduce and manage social and bio-physical costs, as well as provide many businesses with the opportunity to be successful. However, achieving corporate sustainability is not an easy task and is accompanied by a number of challenges / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

by Maria Chen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [81-85]). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Ch. 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1. --- The tension of the double goals in media organization --- p.2 / Chapter 2. --- Research question --- p.3 / Chapter 3. --- Significance --- p.3 / Chapter Ch. 2 --- Beauty pageants and television --- p.5 / Chapter 1. --- History --- p.5 / Chapter (A) --- "Miss USA, Miss Universe" --- p.5 / Chapter (B) --- Increasing popularity of beauty pageants in Hong Kong… --- p.5 / Chapter 2. --- Formats of beauty pageants --- p.8 / Chapter (A) --- TVB --- p.8 / Chapter (B) --- ATV --- p.9 / Chapter 3. --- Why beauty pageants? --- p.10 / Chapter (A) --- A popular TV program --- p.10 / Chapter (B) --- Controversial media product --- p.11 / Chapter Ch. 3 --- Corporate image and the tension between profit-making and social responsibility: a theoretical linkage --- p.15 / Chapter 1. --- Theoretical tension between the two goals --- p.15 / Chapter (A) --- The goal of responsibility --- p.15 / Chapter (B) --- The goal of profit --- p.19 / Chapter (C) --- The relationship between profit and responsibility --- p.20 / Chapter (D) --- The source of tension --- p.21 / Chapter (E) --- The conflict and compatibility of the double goals --- p.22 / Chapter 2. --- The method of tension resolution --- p.24 / Chapter (A) --- Marketing --- p.24 / Chapter (B) --- Corporate Image --- p.26 / Chapter (C) --- The position taken in this thesis --- p.30 / Chapter Ch. 4 --- Research methods --- p.32 / Chapter 1. --- Hypotheses --- p.32 / Chapter 2. --- Methodology --- p.33 / Chapter (A) --- In-depth interview --- p.33 / Chapter (B) --- Participant observation --- p.36 / Chapter (C) --- Documentation analysis --- p.36 / Chapter Ch. 5 --- Results --- p.38 / Chapter 1. --- TV stations and their structure in Hong Kong --- p.38 / Chapter (A) --- TVB's corporate image --- p.39 / Chapter (B) --- ATV's corporate image --- p.41 / Chapter (C) --- TVB's image for Miss Hong Kong --- p.42 / Chapter (D) --- ATV's image for Miss Asia --- p.44 / Chapter 2. --- Analysis of the tensions and resolutions in beauty pageants --- p.45 / Chapter (A) --- Managing external uncertainty --- p.45 / Chapter (B) --- Media frameworks for beauty pageants in Hong Kong --- p.47 / Chapter (C) --- Managing internal uncertainty --- p.58 / Chapter Ch. 6 --- Conclusion --- p.78

Wang, Jing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-142). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract / Acknowledgements / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.7 / Chapter A. --- Background leading to the research question --- p.7 / Chapter I. --- The socialist legacy: the institutional failure of China ´ةs labor regime --- p.8 / Chapter II. --- Society in action: the emergence of migrant worker NGOs --- p.10 / Chapter B. --- Research Question --- p.16 / Chapter C. --- Significance of the research --- p.18 / Chapter D. --- Research Structure --- p.21 / Chapter I. --- Relationship with official trade unions --- p.22 / Chapter II. --- Relationship with enterprises (suppliers and MNCs) --- p.22 / Chapter III. --- Relationship with foreign NGOs --- p.24 / Chapter F. --- The Organization of the Thesis --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- Literature Review --- p.26 / Chapter A. --- State-society relations: a Civil Society Perspective --- p.27 / Chapter B. --- Industrial relations as Embedded in the State-society Relations --- p.35 / Chapter C. --- Major Inadequacies in Literatures --- p.40 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- Methodology --- p.42 / Chapter A. --- Research Question and Research Design --- p.42 / Chapter B. --- Justifications for Case Study as an Appropriate Method for this Research --- p.44 / Chapter C. --- Selection of the Case --- p.48 / Chapter D. --- Conducting Case Studies --- p.49 / Chapter E. --- Problems Associated with the Case Study --- p.51 / Chapter F. --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Impoverishment of Migrant Labor: Global Capitalism and China's Urban-rural Structural Divide --- p.51 / Chapter A. --- Global Capitalism: the Political Economy of Export-orientated Industry --- p.55 / Chapter B. --- Labor Regime Facilitative to Exploitation --- p.59 / Chapter C. --- The Socio-political Underpinnings of the Labor Regime: Residence Registration System and Two-tier Labor Market --- p.63 / Chapter D. --- Corporate Social Responsibility --- p.66 / Chapter I. --- The comeback of CSR --- p.66 / Chapter II. --- CSR labor regulatory regime --- p.69 / Chapter III. --- The story of ICO started from here --- p.71 / Chapter E. --- Summary --- p.72 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- The Emergence of ICO in the Context of CSR --- p.74 / Chapter A. --- Historical Review of Government Control on Social Organizations --- p.74 / Chapter B. --- The Strategy of ICO to Register with the Government --- p.78 / Chapter C. --- The ICO's Strategy into the Industrial Relations --- p.82 / Chapter D. --- Government --- p.87 / Chapter E. --- Western Civil Society and Foreign NGOs --- p.91 / Chapter F. --- Summary --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter Six: --- The Expansion of ICO --- p.97 / Chapter A. --- Strategy in adaptation --- p.97 / Chapter I. --- Research --- p.97 / Chapter II. --- "CSR Consulting, Training and Auditing" --- p.98 / Chapter III. --- Labor empowerment --- p.106 / Chapter IV. --- Networking --- p.108 / Chapter B. --- Management and Capacity --- p.109 / Chapter I. --- Governance structure --- p.110 / Chapter II. --- Financial management --- p.113 / Chapter III. --- Human resources --- p.115 / Chapter C. --- Enterprises --- p.116 / Chapter D. --- Government --- p.118 / Chapter E. --- Trade Unions --- p.121 / Chapter F. --- Summary --- p.124 / Chapter Chapter Seven: --- Conclusion --- p.125 / Chapter A. --- State and Civil Society: A Game of Push and Pull? --- p.126 / Chapter B. --- A Western-Bred Civil Society? --- p.127 / Chapter C. --- The Social Entrepreneur --- p.130 / Chapter D. --- Refining the Theoretical Framework of Transformation in Chinese Labor Regime and State-Society Relations --- p.134 / References --- p.138

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Lincoln University, 2008. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study originates out of my experience as an environmental educator working within business and industry in Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is motivated by my observation that, despite much environmental rhetoric and training, environmental education in industry rarely leads to significant advances towards environmental protection. I assume that the problem of the mismatch between rhetoric and action involves both semiotic and non-semiotic components and therefore, after a thorough exploration of my methodological options, I adopt a qualitative transdisciplinary textual analysis of relevant documents using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis and Bhaskar’s Dialectical Critical Realism, with some insights taken from Bhaskar’s more recent concept of Meta-Reality. My main conclusions from the study indicate that causally efficacious philosophical mistakes, relating to theories of structure/agency and theories of epistemology, are an important aspect of the problem being considered. Specifically, I demonstrate that these mistakes function to buttress ideology and its attendant contradictions which in turn function to provide the preconditions that maintain inequalities and poor environmental practice in business and industry. Prior and current events, such as climate change and the trend towards globalisation, the ‘free market economy’ and psychological characteristics of the author, relevant to the problem, are also important. In line with Bhaskar’s emancipatory aim for explanatory critique, I end with tentative recommendations for a re-imagined environmental education for business and industry which require (un)action. Consistent with my methodological choices, my recommendations have a (qualified) universal application, despite my focus on texts from South Africa and Zimbabwe. My recommendations are summarised below: • there should be consistency between theory and practice such that performance contradictions are avoided; • we should not act from a fear of survival based on past, no longer relevant experiences (e.g. from childhood) as this is unlikely to be an adequate base for present actions; • we should avoid voluntarism by acting with the resources at our disposal, based on a true understanding of our strengths and weaknesses and our own specificities; • we should avoid assuming the stance of the ‘victim’ by refusing to blame other agents or circumstances, without distorting or underestimating the causal efficacy of those agents or circumstances (related to avoiding voluntarism, whilst nevertheless not resorting to determinism either); • we should direct our action towards the abolition of inequalities and master-slave relationships (related to the avoidance of performance contradictions); • we should act from the position of epistemological humility, rather than from the position of epistemological privilege; • we should consider action as ‘shedding’ based on an understanding of the Transformational Model of Social Activity (TMSA); and • we should consider learning to be ‘shedding’ based on the necessity of (un)knowledge, or ignorance, as a requirement of arriving at relatively new knowledge. This study is also a contribution to contemporary methodological discussions relevant to Critical Discourse Analysis in that it extends these discussions to include psychoanalytical (as well as the more familiar phenomenological and ideological) depth explanations of lived illusion. Furthermore, this study is an experimental attempt to apply the concept of ‘meta-reflexivity’ in Critical Discourse Analysis.

The focus of this thesis was to develop a simplified framework for future sustainability reports. The traditional approach to corporate reporting is limited in its ability to meet expectations of stakeholders for what drives value creation in a business. Sustainability performance reports are aimed at providing stakeholders information regarding a company’s non-financial performance and to provide stakeholders some information regarding the future performance that can be expected. The idea behind sustainability and the triple bottom line is that a company’s ultimate success can and should be measured not just by the financial bottom line, but also by its social, environmental and economic success. Sustainability reporting, also known as triple bottom line reporting incorporates the economic, social and environmental performance of a company, but there is no universally accepted definition of the subject. Sustainability is a contested subject and defined differently by different groups to suit their purposes. This places the phenomenon in a situation where its future is threatened. / D.B.L.

No description available.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT This study project has as its main aim the development of a framework and model for the purpose of constructing a new best practice management tool, the Social Business Contract, to align, regulate and control interactive behaviour in the workplace. The tool is presented in its concept phase only and has been developed to address a perceived gap between paperless and actual, enforceable accountability for interactive behaviour on all organisational levels. The aim of the Social Business Contract is to promote corporate social responsibility, which is influenced and shaped by interactive organisational behaviour. In order to establish corporate social responsibility in line. with Good Corporate Governance principles to which the concept of accountability inherently attaches, the core of the Social Business Contract has, as its name implies, a legal character. The overriding consequence of establishing corporate social responsibility through a legal agreement is that top-down and bottom-up accountability is created and endorsed which permeates the organisation on every level. The Social Business Contract is to be an agreement between employer and employee capable of conclusion on either an individual- or a collective basis. To this end the Law of Contract and Labour Law as benchmarked against the Constitution of South Africa are relevant to this study. In developing the framework, called the Social Business Contract Framework or S.B.C.F., a five-element approach was applied. The reason for this approach is that behaviour in the workplace is regarded as the product of interactive forces comprising of psychological, emotional, ethical, social and legal elements. The purpose of the S.B.C.F. is to give structure to the Social Business Contract and to establish the parameters in which it is to function. The S.B.C.F. consists of three tiers relating to the material, functional and procedural aspects around which the Social Business Contract revolves and which also supports the characteristics inherent in and required by law. The purpose of the model that was developed, called the P.L.E.S.E.-Model, is to assess or measure how the elements referred to in the previous paragraph, fit in relation to each other so that an overall profile of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to organisational interactive behaviour can be constructed. This profile would facilitate the planning of the material content that the Social Business Contract would need to address in order to bring the interactive elements into balance with one another. The Social Business Contract's validity is dependent on obtaining and managing consensus. Due to the relationship of authority that characterises the employment relationship, the Social Business Contract seeks to promote the concepts of bona fides, justice, fairness and equality in order to alleviate the potential conflicts and pressures that may result from the power differential between the parties. It also seeks to place the Psychological Contract on a legal basis, enhance the contract of employment, encourage effective organisational design and promote Good Corporate Governance on a social level. Validation for the S.B.C.F., the P.L.E.S.E.-Model and the concept of the Social Business Contract was sought through fieldwork research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie projek, is om In raamwerk en model te ontwikkel vir doeleindes van die konstruksie van In beste-praktyk bestuursinstrument, die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak, ten einde interaktiewe gedrag in die werkplek in ewewig te bring, te reguleer en te beheer. Die instrument word slegs aangebied in konsepfase en was ontwikkel om In bemerkbare gaping tussen papierlose en wesenlike, afdwingbare verantwoordbaarheid, ten opsigte van interaktiewe gedrag op alle organisatoriese vlakke, aan te spreek. Die doel van die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak is om korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid te bevorder wat beïnvloed en gevorm word deur interaktiewe organisatoriese gedrag. Ten einde korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid daar te stel, waaraan die verantwoordbaarheidskonsep inherent gekoppel is, het die kern van die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak, soos die naam impliseer, In regskarakter. Die oorheersende gevolg wat voortvloei uit die daarstelling van korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid deur middel van In regsooreenkoms, is dat In bo-na-onder en onder-na-bo verantwoordbaarheid geskep en onderskryf word wat die organisasie op elke vlak deurdring. Die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak word vooropgestel as In ooreenkoms tussen werkgewer en werknemer wat beide op In individuele en kollektiewe vlak gesluit kan word. As gevolg hiervan is Kontraktereg en Arbeidsreg soos gemeet aan die Konstitusie van Suid-Afrika, relevant to hierdie studie. In Vyf-element benadering is toegepas in die ontwikkeling van die Sosiale Besigheidsraamwerk of S.B.C.F. Die rede vir hierdie benadering is dat gedrag in die werkplek beskou word as die produk van interaktiewe kragte wat bestaan uit sielkundige, emosionele, etiese, sosiale en regselemente. Die doel van die S.B.C.F. is om struktuur aan die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak te verleen en om die parameters waarin dit moet funksioneer, vas te stel. Die S.B.C.F. bestaan uit drie vlakke verwysend na die materiële, funksionele en prosedurele aspekte waarom die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak draai en wat ook die karaktertrekke inherent aan en vereis deur die reg, ondersteun. Die doel van die model wat ontwerp is, genaamd die P.L.E.S.E.-model, is om vas te stelof te meet hoe die elemente waarna verwys is in die vorige paragraaf met mekaar ineenskakel, sodat 'n oorhoofse profiel van die sterktepunte, swakhede, geleenthede en bedreigings met verwysing na organisatoriese interaktiewe gedrag, opgestel kan word. Hierdie profiel sal die beplanning van die materiële inhoud, wat die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak sal moet aanspreek ten einde die interaktiewe gedragselemente te balanseer, vergemaklik. Die geldigheid van die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak hang af van die verkryging en bestuur van konsensus. As gevolg van die outoriteitsverhouding wat kenmerkend is van die indiensnemingsverhouding, poog die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak om die konsepte van bona fides, geregtigheid en gelykheid te bevorder, ten einde die potensiële konflik en druk te verlig wat voortvloei uit die magsdifferensiaal wat tussen die partye bestaan. Dit poog ook om die Sielkundige Kontrak op "n regsbasis te plaas, die indiensnemingskontrak te versterk, organisatoriese ontwerp aan te moedig en Goeie Korporatiewe Bestuur op "n sosiale vlak, te bevorder. Veldnavorsing ter stawing van die S.B.C.F., die P.L.E.S.E.-Model en die konsep van die Sosiale Besigheidskontrak, was onderneem.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the biggest problems facing businesses in the future will be the conservation of the environment. The purpose of this study is to determine how a company can implement a socially responsible ecological strategy successfully, and more specific the companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The study consists of two sections, namely an in-depth theoretical literature study into the implementation of a socially responsible ecological strategy and secondly an empirical study on the implementation of such a strategy. The focus is on the different stages in the strategic implementation process, namely the formulation and planning phases, the implementation phase and the exercising of control over the implementation process. An attempt is made to bring the strategy implementation process into relation with the implementation of a socially responsible ecological strategy which will ensure the successful implementation of the strategy. Aspects surrounding the environmental issues were also integrated in this study, namely green activism in South Africa, current legislation and the influence of the green consumer on the welfare of companies. The results indicated that almost two thirds (66,67 %) of the companies in this study are following a socially responsible ecological strategy. These companies who do follow a socially responsible ecological strategy are also more strategic orientated than companies who do not follow a socially responsible ecological strategy. Companies are well aware of the influence that the green consumer can have on their businesses, but green activism has not yet gathered momentum in South Africa to put companies under pressure ensuring to follow a socially responsible ecological strategy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bewaring van die omgewing is een van die grootste aktuele vraagstukke van die toekoms wat ondernemings in die gesig staar. Die doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal hoe 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie suksesvol geïmplementeer kan word, met spesifieke verwysing na maatskappye genoteer op die Johannesburgse Aandelebeurs. Die studie bestaan uit twee gedeeltes, naamlik 'n indiepte teoretiese literatuurstudie na die implementering van 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie en tweedens 'n empiriese ondersoek na die implementering van sodanige strategie. Daar word gefokus op die verskillende stadia in die strategiese implementeringsproses, naamlik die formulerings- en beplanningsfase, die implementeringsfase en die uitoefening van doeltreffende beheer oor die implementeringsproses. Verder word gepoog om die strategie implementeringsproses in verband te bring met die implementering van 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie wat die suksesvolle implementering van die strategie sal verseker. Ondersoek is ook ingestel na faktore rondom die omgewingskwessie, naamlik groen aktivisme in Suid-Afrika, huidige wetgewing en die invloed van die groen verbruiker op die welvaart van die onderneming. Die resultate toon dat feitlik twee derdes (66,67 %) van die ondernemings in hierdie studie wel 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie volg. Hierdie ondernemings wat 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie volg is ook meer strategies georiënteerd as ondernemings wat nie 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie volg nie. Ondernemings besef die invloed van die groen verbruiker op die welvaart van hulondernemings, maar groen aktivisme het nog nie inslag gevind in Suid-Afrika om ondernemings onder druk te plaas om 'n sosiaal verantwoordelike ekologiese strategie te volg nie.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sustainability is a key requirement for business success and is often regarded a competitive advantage if strategically managed. Sustainability-mature organisations look to their value chains where the retailer-supplier relationship becomes critical in embedding sustainability. With this in mind, it has been established that a large South African retailer, Woolworths, has limited insight into the level of engagement in terms of sustainability with its key food suppliers, and no knowledge of the effectiveness of current tools used in enhancing their supply chain sustainability. This poses a problem, as it hinders the full implementation of Woolworth’s sustainability strategy across their value chain. In response to this, a study was undertaken to establish the level of engagement in terms of sustainability and obtain supplier feedback on the effectiveness of current tools used to enhance Woolworth’s supply chain sustainability. To facilitate this, the United Nations’ Global Compact and the Supply Chain Sustainability Guideline were utilised. Secondary research was conducted by means of a literature review covering the theoretical concepts of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, supply chain sustainability and retailer-supplier collaboration. The qualitative and exploratory nature of the study necessitated a case study research design, while the technique of purposive sampling was used to select the sample of three of Woolworths’ food suppliers. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews facilitated by an interview guide, and data analysis was conducted with Atlas.ti software. It was determined that the current engagement around sustainability between Woolworths and their suppliers is still at a basic and broad level, with a strong environmental focus. Additionally, monitoring and support of sustainability initiatives seems to be lacking. Managerial implications emphasise the importance of an integrated sustainability approach driven by the retailer and a strong focus on collaboration and communication with suppliers around ongoing sustainability challenges and opportunities. The United Nations Global Compact Supplier Engagement Continuum was utilised as a framework to map the current level of engagement and was amended for use in the South African context. Future research agendas suggest replica studies in other industries, and that the amended continuum should be tested and further refined for the South African context. In conclusion, specific propositions were formulated to aid future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volhoubaarheid is ‘n sleutel vereiste vir besigheidsukses en word dikwels gesien as ‘n mededingende voordeel indien dit strategies bestuur word. Volhoubaar-volwasse organisasies fokus op hul waardekettings waar die kleinhandelaar-verskaffer verhouding krities is vir die implementering van volhoubaarheid. Met bogenoemde in gedagte, is dit bevind dat ‘n groot Suid-Afrikaanse kleinhandelaar, Woolworths, beperkte insig het aangaande die vlak van samewerking in terme van volhoubaarheid met sleutel voedselverskaffers. Verder is daar ook geen kennis oor die effektiwiteit van huidige tegnieke wat gebruik word om volhoubaarheid in hul waardeketting te bevorder nie. Dit skep ‘n probleem aangesien dit die effektiewe implementering van Woolworths se volhoubaarheidstrategie in hul waardeketting verhinder. Dus is ‘n studie onderneem om die vlak van betrokkenheid in terme van volhoubaarheid te bepaal, sowel as om terugvoer vanaf verskaffers in te samel aangaande die effektiwiteit van huidige volhoubaarheidsinisiatiewe. Om dit te fasiliteer was daar van die United Nations Global Compact en die Supply Chain Sustainability Guideline gebruik gemaak. Sekondêre navorsing was uitgevoer deur middel van ‘n literatuur studie wat fokus op die teoretiese konsepte van korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, volhoubaarheid, waardeketting-volhoubaarheid, en kleinhandelaar-verskaffer samewerking. Die kwalitatiewe en ondersoekende eienskappe van die studie het gelei tot ‘n gevallestudie navorsingsontwerp, terwyl doelgerigte steekproeftrekking gebruik was om die steekproef van drie van Woolworths se voedselverskaffers te identifiseer. Data insameling het deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude plaasgevind en was gefasiliteer deur ‘n onderhoudgids. Die data was verwerk en geanaliseer met behulp van Atlas.ti sagteware. Dit is bevestig dat die huidige samewerking tussen Woolworths en hul verskaffers, aangaande volhoubaarheid, steeds op ‘n basiese en breë vlak is met ‘n sterk omgewingsfokus. Addisioneel wil dit voorkom dat volgehoue monitering en ondersteuning van volhoubaarheidspogings tekort skiet. Bestuursimplikasies beklemtoon die belangrikheid van ‘n geïntegreerde volhoubaarheidsbenadering wat gedryf moet word deur die kleinhandelaar. Terselfde tyd word ‘n sterk fokus op samewerking en kommunikasie met verskaffers aangaande deurlopende volhoubaarheidsgeleenthede en –uitdagings benodig. Die United Nations Global Compact Supplier Engagement Continuum was gebruik as raamwerk om die huidige vlak van samewerking te bepaal en was aangepas vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Toekomstige navorsingsagendas stel voor dat replika studies in ander industrieë gedoen word, en dat die aangepaste kontinuum getoets en verder verfyn word vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Ten slotte was spesifieke proposisies geformuleer vir toekomstige navorsing.