Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research report is focused on stating a case for the strategic value to be gained from an alignment of company strategies with the needs of the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), as well as an analysis of the relationship and conditions of support between the donor and receipient of corporate social investment. The report will focus on the relationship of the business sector with the triple bottom line, more specifically the social development component - the relationship of the recipients with the business reaching out to them; and the contribution it makes to sustainability. Corporate social investment (CSI) is most often measured in non-economic terms. In continuation of establishing the link between CSI and sustainability, the report will: • Provide evidence of the strategic advantage a high emphasis on sustainability initiatives bring about for the business sector. • Address the direct relationship between the economic performance of a company and their corporate social investment achievements. • Highlight the close relation between social and environmental perfonnance of business and the link to continued business competitiveness and long-term sustainability. • Support a better understanding for the need for business and non-profits to form partnerships to add value to the long-term sustainability of communities through CSI. • Highlight the role NGOs and other socially concerned groups can play in engaging with the business sector (CSR Investors) as well as the people at the "Bottom of the Pyramid". • Develop a model for use by any partner on either end of CSI initiatives which will serve as a guideline for mainstreaming CSI. NGOs within the non-profit sector have a very specific role to play in the sustainability context. This statement also translates as to stating that the NGO should be the main partner in linking the business sector with the social development within the community. The role of NGOs, the non-profit sector in the community, is key to corporate companies opening the door to BOP markets. This view is supported by Prahalad and Hart (2005:32) stating that NGOs and other concerned social groupings are by far the lead experimenters in BOP markets. GRI indicators and guidelines playa dominant role in linking social development as component of the triple bottom line to sustainability. This is also confinmed by sustainability reports of a selection of businesses evaluated and compared. The model developed gives attention to the process of embedding CSR in the business profile, with factors influencing this process and activities acting as drivers. The change needed requires a certain quality of leadership, not only from the management of the business, but also from the govemance structure in place. Answering in these requirements will ensure the identification of strategiC issues and effective strategies to address them. The role of indigenous governance systems is highlighted to support the objective of reaching the BOP. The model provides guidance on the calculation of a return on CSR, the indicators of growth and success and the expected outcomes. The task of fitting a non profit organisation to a potential partner in the business sector continues to be a challenge, a strategiC move critical for the long-tenm sustainability of society. It cannot be dealt with in the enclosed boundaries of a research report and is a living activity that needs to be practiced. Innovation, skill, will-power and ethical leadership and govemance will continue to be instrumental for success. It is therefore critical that the buy-in comes from all levels of business, to allow for true sustainability of services and products. Eventually the true measure for success will be the extent to which the BOP benefits from the "exercise" economically and socially, the extent to which the businesses can add to their profit margin with incorporation of serving the BOP. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsingsverslag is om 'n besigheidsaak te staaf. Die fokus is op die verkryging van 'n strategiese waarde uit die ooreenstemming van besigheidstrategiee met die behoeftes van gemeenskappe aan die onderkant van die ekonomiese piramide (BOP). Die fokus is verder op die analise van die verhoudings en voorwaardes vir ondersteuning tussen die gewer en die ontvanger van korporatiewe sosiale beleggings (CSI). Die verslag sal fokus op die verhouding tussen die besigheidsektor en die "triple bottom line", meer spesifiek die sosiale onlwikkelingskomponent - die verhouding tussen die ontvangers en die besighede wat uitreik na hulle; en die bydrae wat dit maak tot volhoubaarheid. Korporatiewe sosiale belegging (CSI) word gewoonlik gemeet in nie-ekonomiese terme. Ter voortsetting van die vestiging van die skakeling tussen CSI en volhoubaarheid, hanteer die verslag ook die volgende: • Dit gee bewyse van die strategiese voordeel wat verkry sal word uit 'n sterk klem op volhoubaarheidinisiatiewe wat voortgebring word vir die besigheidsektor. • Dit spreek die direkte verhouding aan tussen die ekonomiese prestasie van 'n besigheid en hul prestasies op die terrein van CSI. • Dit plaas nadruk op die noue verhouding tussen die sosiale en omgewingsprestasies van die besigheid en die konneksie daarvan met die mededingendheid van die besigheid en langtermynvolhoubaarheid. • Dit ondersteun 'n beter begrip vir die behoeftes van besighede en niewinsgewende organisasies (NGO's) aan vennootskappe ten einde waarde toe te voeg tot langtermynvolhoubaarheid van gemeenskappe deur korporatiewe sosiale beleggings. • Dit beklemtoon die rol wat NGO's en ander sosiale bewustheidsgroepe kan speel wanneer hulle betrokke raak by die besigheidsektor (CSR beleggers), sowel as die mense aan die onderkant van die ekonomiese piramide. • Dit ontwikkel 'n model vir gebruik deur enige vennoot aan enige kant van CSI inisiatiewe wat sal dien as riglyn vir die insluit van CSI in die besigheidshoofstroom. • NGO's binne die kader van die nie-winsmakende sektor het 'n baie spesifieke rol te speel binne die konteks van volhoubaarheid. Hierdie standpuntinname kan ook beteken dat die NGO die hoofvennoot behoort te wees in die skakeling van die besigheidsektor met die sosiale ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap. Die rol van die NGO, die nie-winsgewende sektor in die gemeenskap, is die sleutel tot die ontsluiting van die ekonomiese markte vir gemeenskappe aan die onderkant van die ekonomiese piramide. Hierdie standpunt word ondersteun deur Prahalad en Hart (2005:32) wat dit stel dat nie-winsgewende organisasies en ander sosiale groeperinge die onteenseglike leiers is in eksperimentering binne die BOP markte. GRI (Global Reporting Initiative, ook genoem die GRI Volhoubaarheid Verslagdoening Riglyne) aanwysers en riglyne speel 'n dominante rol in die koppeling van sosiale ontwikkeling as onderdeel van die "triple bottom line" met volhoubaarheid. Dit word bevestig deur die volhoubaarheidsverslae van 'n aantal besighede wat geevalueer en vergelyk is. Die ontwikkelde model gee aandag aan die proses van vaslegging van CSR binne die besigheidsprofiel, saam met die faktore wat hierdie proses beinvloed en die aktiwiteite wat dien as drywers. Die verandering wat benodig word vereis 'n sekere kwaliteit van leierskap, nie alleen in die bestuur van die besigheid nie, maar ook vanuit die regerende strukture wat reeds bestaan. Die identifisering van strategiese sake en effektiewe strategiee verseker dat voldoen word aan bogenoemde vereistes. Die rol van inheemse regerende strukture word beklemtoon in die bereiking van BOP-markte as doelwit. Die model verskaf leiding in die berekening van 'n opbrengs op korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid (CSR), die aanwysers van groei en sukses en die verwagte resultate. Die taak om 'n nie-winsgewende organisasie in geskikte passing met 'n potensiele vennoot in die besigheidsektor te gee, bly steeds 'n uitdaging, 'n strategiese skuif wat belangrik is vir die langtermynvolhoubaarheid van die gemeenskap. Dit kan nie voldoende hanteer word binne die grense van 'n navorsingsverslag nie en bly 'n lewende aktiwiteit wat voortdurend beoefen moet word. Innovering, vaardigheid, motivering en etiese leierskap en regering sal voortgaan om instrumenteel te wees vir sukses. Dit is daarom uiters belangrik dat die betrokkenheid en inkoop moet kom van al die vlakke van besigheid ten einde die ware volhoubaarheid van dienste en produkte te verseker. Uiteindelik sal die werklike meting van sukses bepaal word volgens die omvang waartoe BOP-markte baat vind by die "oefening", ekonomies sowel as sosiaal - dit is die omvang van waardetoevoeging tot die winste van die besigheid met inbegrip van dienste aan gemeenskappe aan die onderpunt van die ekonomiese piramide.

Abstract A critical equity and change enabler, literacy/education continues to prove very challenging to transform in South Africa. Having been a major apartheid resource through Bantu Education in entrenching South Africa‟s existing two worlds, business intervention in this crucial sector is the overriding interest of this research. How corporate social responsibility in education, assisted by public policy, reinforces inequality in the South African society, even as it attempts to alleviate poverty, is the thrust of the argument here around which many questions evolve. Some of the questions to which this thesis attempts to offer answers, therefore, are: What informs how business invests in education? How is public policy not an enabler of business investment in education? The objective is to determine the extent to which business investment in literacy/education can empower meaningful change in a market-driven South African society. The argument reiterated in this thesis is that Corporate Social Investment (CSI) in education has the potential to be a strong change driver. Unfortunately, its current positioning in the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE) strategy is weak and its effect on change equally weak. The extent to which CSI in literacy can facilitate transformation in South Africa is highly dependent on the elimination of the many challenges beyond the scope of business endeavour. The challenges include the low weighting of CSI in the BEE agenda which is a hindrance to mind-set change about the relevance of education to South Africa‟s transformation. Employing the qualitative method, using elite interviewing, and relying on written records, this thesis starts off by finding the South African definition of the word Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vis-à-vis global definitions. While Corporate Social Investment (CSI), it was discovered, is the preferred word in the private sector, findings here reveal that irrespective of what it is called in South Africa, CSR or CSI, both terms are fundamentally the same because, more in South Africa than anywhere else, the moral values that drive CSR or CSI are the same. That is, social justice, equity, and transformation. In order to determine its potency in the change process, a cursory assessment of CSI in the various sectors of education reinforces the place of the definition in that process. As an „investment‟, CSI is driven by market forces. Inherent in these forces are the inequalities that motivate capitalism and CSI is not insulated from those forces. Findings here emphasise that CSI, as yet another capitalist means of intervention in education, is thus severely challenged to be more than a tip of the ice-berg in the nation‟s change process. Very importantly, this thesis shows how paradoxically, public policy through the DTI Codes of Conduct for BB-BEE further disempowers CSI in education. As a “residual element” with an insignificant weighting on the BEE Scorecard, this research argues that legislation diminishes the importance of education as an empowerment driver. The inadequate creation of jobs further makes the benefit of education to transformation even less stimulating. It concludes that although CSR or CSI has enormous potential to drive change, the BEE legislation, the conceptualisation of CSR, and other micro issues evolving around poverty conspire to limit the extent to which CSI can empower change.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T16:45:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nathalia de Amorim Perret Gentil Dit Maillard.pdf: 564482 bytes, checksum: 43d8530b68473a8cc2e14ba4b8db84e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-24 / This paper aims to study the corporate foundations and the objective is to discuss their role in social policies management. The study is motivated because foundations have been assuming a prominent role as social policies agents, not just for the resources available, but also for its inclusion in the policies management by their projects. Firstly, foundations were designated just to execute social actions, today they are seen as strategic organizations, able to effect a more sustainable management and increase the dialogue between business and community. Therefore, foundations implement and generate social projects in order to enable better living conditions for poor people and ensure their social rights - right to health, education, housing and other essential terms. It should be emphasized there isn´t a withdrawal of state policymaker and funder role in social policies, on the contrary, the state expanded its functions of planning, assessment and control, ensuring citizens' right to access quality life. To achieve our objective, we provide a literature review on the transformation of state, enterprises and Third Sector roles. The research methodology is qualitative and quantitative interviews were conducted in 6 large and active corporate foundations in education area. The study showed there is a conscious concern from foundations to social problems and several projects are carried out to combat these. There is also an attempt to contribute to state, even if not fully aligned with government programs. The foundations contribute to state but there is no way yet to assess the real impact because the absence of similar indicators, also the dialogue between the sectors is fragile, so the exchange and sharing of skills and knowledge is still small / O presente trabalho se propõe a estudar as fundações corporativas com o objetivo de discutir o seu papel na gestão das políticas sociais. O estudo é motivado pois as fundações vêm assumindo papel de destaque como agentes de políticas sociais, não apenas pelo enorme volume de recursos disponíveis, mas também por sua inserção na gestão de tais políticas através de projetos. A princípio, as fundações foram designadas executoras de ações sociais, hoje são vistas por suas mantenedoras como organismos estratégicos, capazes de efetivar uma gestão mais sustentável e de ampliar o diálogo entre empresas e a comunidade. As fundações, assim, implementam e geram projetos sociais com o objetivo de possibilitar à população melhores condições de vida e garantir seus direitos sociais - direito ao acesso à saúde, à educação, à habitação e a outras condições essenciais. É necessário ressaltar que não há a retirada do papel do Estado de formulador e financiador das políticas sociais, pelo contrário, o Estado amplia suas funções de planejamento, avaliação e controle, garantindo aos cidadãos o direito ao acesso a uma vida com qualidade. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, promove-se uma revisão bibliográfica referente as transformações do papel do Estado, empresas e do Terceiro Setor. A metodologia utilizada na pesquisa foi qualitativa-quantitativa, foram realizadas entrevistas em 6 grandes e atuantes fundações corporativas na área da educação. O estudo mostrou que há uma preocupação consciente das fundações com os problemas sociais e que diversos projetos são realizados para o combate destes. Há também uma tentativa de contribuição com o Estado, mesmo que ainda não totalmente alinhadas com os programas governamentais. Mas ainda falta uma aproximação entre as organizações com ações planejadas e avaliadas. As fundações contribuem com o Estado mas ainda não há como avaliar o real impacto pela ausência de indicadores similares, além disso ainda é falha o diálogo entre os setores, assim a troca e o compartilhamento de capacidades e conhecimentos ainda é pequena

Os ricos declaram ter uma preocupação moral com a pobreza e com a desigualdade social. Uma das formas centrais de se dirigir a essas questões é a prática filantrópica que protagonizam. Este estudo trata das filantropias de elite, no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, nas suas vertentes do chamado filantrocapitalismo e da filantropia progressista e/ou de justiça social. Enquanto o filantrocapitalismo tenta universalizar o humano, identificar e expandir suas categorias morais financiando apenas projetos próprios e/ou a serem implementados por empresas parceiras e seus pares de negócios, a filantropia que se diz progressista ou de justiça social busca financiar ativistas e movimentos sociais. Ambas se cruzam na articulação com governos e com o setor privado, influenciando na elaboração de políticas públicas. Uma das questões centrais desta pesquisa foi entender por que se doa tanto nos Estados Unidos - considerado em campo como o cenário ideal da filantropia global - mas não no Brasil. Os achados demonstram que a resposta é complexa, envolvendo desde os distintos modelos de colonização, a centralidade do ethos protestante nos Estados Unidos e católico no Brasil, o legado português no país, as relações das sociedades civis e os Estados e os modelos de democracia implementados nos dois países. Recorrendo à formação histórica das duas nações, a filantropia é declarada como parte do DNA estadunidense, em uma lógica democrática associativista com distanciamento do governo em um Estado mínimo e de matriz protestante, enquanto no Brasil a centralidade do papel do Estado, mesmo na noção de cidadania, levou à concepção do termo Filantroestatismo para fenômenos emergentes como o Investimento Social Privado enquanto modos de governança econômica. / The riches declare a moral concern with poverty and social inequality. One of the main ways of addressing these social issues is through their philanthropic practice. This research focuses on the philanthropy of elites in Brazil and in the United States, on its trends of philanthrocapitalism and social justice or prgressive philanthropy. Whereas philathrocapitalism tries to universalize the human, identifying and expanding its moral categories, financing its own or peer related projects, the socalled social justice or progressive philanthropy seeks financing activists and social movements. Both practices intertwine with governments and the private sector, influencing public policies. The main addressed question is understanding why so much is donated in the United States but not in Brazil. The findings show a complex answer, passing through the different models of colonization in both cuntries, the protestant ethos in the United States versus the catholic ethos in Brazil, the Portuguese legacy in the country, the civil societies relations to governments and the distinct models of democracy implemented. Resorting to the historical formation of both nations, philanthropy is declared as a part of the United States´ DNA, in an associative democratic logics with the distancing of a weak government, whereas in Brazil the centrality of the State, even in notions such as citizenship, lead to the creation of the concept Philanthroestatism for emergent phenomena such as Private Social Investment as means of economic governance.

Markets are arenas of social interaction for the exchange of products and services that are embedded in specific networks, cultures, and political relations. The study of how new markets come into being is a lively area of scholarly debate, and the purpose of this thesis is to shed light on the dynamics of these early moments of market formation. These nascent markets are characterized by the lack of shared meanings and settled rules around their participants, processes, and infrastructure. I approach them with arguments from economic sociology and from theories of organizations and institutions. The empirical context is a longitudinal study of the UK social investment market from 2000 to 2015, a field that intersects the social, financial, and public sectors. Social investment refers to the combination of financial returns and social impact, but the contest over its meaning and practice is itself a part of this analysis. The core data collection is based on interviews, reports, field events, and online sources, which provide an empirical basis to understand the social, cultural, and political processes that are shaping this market. I build on different traditions in the sociology of markets to explore changes over time in the rules, identities, practices, and dominant actors during the early moments of the UK social investment market. My first main finding is that the initial period of uncontested ambiguity is followed by efforts from mainstream organizations to reduce that ambiguity by reshaping rules and practices. This then results in a period of collaborative contestation, where peripheral actors challenge the core features of the field and hinder the path to stability. The second finding is about the role played by intermediary organizations in nascent markets, which consists of building the market infrastructure by connecting actors, developing a language, and establishing rules and practices. These findings point to the importance of theorizing about ambiguity in the early moments of markets. I contribute to this endeavor by specifying some of its features and dynamics, and by emphasizing the centrality of intermediation. I also further our understanding of those markets that span across the worlds of business, policy, and civil society.

This study proposes a beyond modernist conceptual model for businesses' social engagement to address social development through public relations. This model is based on the premises that social thinking shifted towards beyond modernist thinking, that the same shift is evident in social development and that businesses' social engagement to address social development through public relations should be aligned with this shift in social thinking and in social development. The social shift towards beyond modernist thinking means that it is assumed that people are interdependent on one another for their future survival on earth, and that people and nature are, in the same way, interdependent. Accepting interdependency implies acceptance of 'multiplicity' and 'reciprocity'. This leads society to increasingly expect that businesses should be socially engaged. In developing countries this implies social development. This shift in society towards beyond modernist thinking is echoed in social development discourse: through an an equal-status relationship between benefactor and beneficiary beyond modernist social development enables members of a developing community to develop themselves. These shifts in social thinking and in the field of social development, has not matured to the same extent in the practice and theory of businesses' social engagement to address social development through public relations. The conceptual model proposed in this study addresses this concern. The proposed conceptual model formalises this shift in thinking on a theoretical/conceptual level, which indicates an ecological business-society relationship where the business regards itself as being part of society, where public relations should have a social orientation and where the businesses' social engagement through public relations should be directed towards the improvement of society. Based on this model, guidelines towards the practice of businesses' social engagement to address social development through public relations are deduced / Communication Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

Os ricos declaram ter uma preocupação moral com a pobreza e com a desigualdade social. Uma das formas centrais de se dirigir a essas questões é a prática filantrópica que protagonizam. Este estudo trata das filantropias de elite, no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, nas suas vertentes do chamado filantrocapitalismo e da filantropia progressista e/ou de justiça social. Enquanto o filantrocapitalismo tenta universalizar o humano, identificar e expandir suas categorias morais financiando apenas projetos próprios e/ou a serem implementados por empresas parceiras e seus pares de negócios, a filantropia que se diz progressista ou de justiça social busca financiar ativistas e movimentos sociais. Ambas se cruzam na articulação com governos e com o setor privado, influenciando na elaboração de políticas públicas. Uma das questões centrais desta pesquisa foi entender por que se doa tanto nos Estados Unidos - considerado em campo como o cenário ideal da filantropia global - mas não no Brasil. Os achados demonstram que a resposta é complexa, envolvendo desde os distintos modelos de colonização, a centralidade do ethos protestante nos Estados Unidos e católico no Brasil, o legado português no país, as relações das sociedades civis e os Estados e os modelos de democracia implementados nos dois países. Recorrendo à formação histórica das duas nações, a filantropia é declarada como parte do DNA estadunidense, em uma lógica democrática associativista com distanciamento do governo em um Estado mínimo e de matriz protestante, enquanto no Brasil a centralidade do papel do Estado, mesmo na noção de cidadania, levou à concepção do termo Filantroestatismo para fenômenos emergentes como o Investimento Social Privado enquanto modos de governança econômica. / The riches declare a moral concern with poverty and social inequality. One of the main ways of addressing these social issues is through their philanthropic practice. This research focuses on the philanthropy of elites in Brazil and in the United States, on its trends of philanthrocapitalism and social justice or prgressive philanthropy. Whereas philathrocapitalism tries to universalize the human, identifying and expanding its moral categories, financing its own or peer related projects, the socalled social justice or progressive philanthropy seeks financing activists and social movements. Both practices intertwine with governments and the private sector, influencing public policies. The main addressed question is understanding why so much is donated in the United States but not in Brazil. The findings show a complex answer, passing through the different models of colonization in both cuntries, the protestant ethos in the United States versus the catholic ethos in Brazil, the Portuguese legacy in the country, the civil societies relations to governments and the distinct models of democracy implemented. Resorting to the historical formation of both nations, philanthropy is declared as a part of the United States´ DNA, in an associative democratic logics with the distancing of a weak government, whereas in Brazil the centrality of the State, even in notions such as citizenship, lead to the creation of the concept Philanthroestatism for emergent phenomena such as Private Social Investment as means of economic governance.

Os ricos declaram ter uma preocupação moral com a pobreza e com a desigualdade social. Uma das formas centrais de se dirigir a essas questões é a prática filantrópica que protagonizam. Este estudo trata das filantropias de elite, no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, nas suas vertentes do chamado filantrocapitalismo e da filantropia progressista e/ou de justiça social. Enquanto o filantrocapitalismo tenta universalizar o humano, identificar e expandir suas categorias morais financiando apenas projetos próprios e/ou a serem implementados por empresas parceiras e seus pares de negócios, a filantropia que se diz progressista ou de justiça social busca financiar ativistas e movimentos sociais. Ambas se cruzam na articulação com governos e com o setor privado, influenciando na elaboração de políticas públicas. Uma das questões centrais desta pesquisa foi entender por que se doa tanto nos Estados Unidos - considerado em campo como o cenário ideal da filantropia global - mas não no Brasil. Os achados demonstram que a resposta é complexa, envolvendo desde os distintos modelos de colonização, a centralidade do ethos protestante nos Estados Unidos e católico no Brasil, o legado português no país, as relações das sociedades civis e os Estados e os modelos de democracia implementados nos dois países. Recorrendo à formação histórica das duas nações, a filantropia é declarada como parte do DNA estadunidense, em uma lógica democrática associativista com distanciamento do governo em um Estado mínimo e de matriz protestante, enquanto no Brasil a centralidade do papel do Estado, mesmo na noção de cidadania, levou à concepção do termo Filantroestatismo para fenômenos emergentes como o Investimento Social Privado enquanto modos de governança econômica. / The riches declare a moral concern with poverty and social inequality. One of the main ways of addressing these social issues is through their philanthropic practice. This research focuses on the philanthropy of elites in Brazil and in the United States, on its trends of philanthrocapitalism and social justice or prgressive philanthropy. Whereas philathrocapitalism tries to universalize the human, identifying and expanding its moral categories, financing its own or peer related projects, the socalled social justice or progressive philanthropy seeks financing activists and social movements. Both practices intertwine with governments and the private sector, influencing public policies. The main addressed question is understanding why so much is donated in the United States but not in Brazil. The findings show a complex answer, passing through the different models of colonization in both cuntries, the protestant ethos in the United States versus the catholic ethos in Brazil, the Portuguese legacy in the country, the civil societies relations to governments and the distinct models of democracy implemented. Resorting to the historical formation of both nations, philanthropy is declared as a part of the United States´ DNA, in an associative democratic logics with the distancing of a weak government, whereas in Brazil the centrality of the State, even in notions such as citizenship, lead to the creation of the concept Philanthroestatism for emergent phenomena such as Private Social Investment as means of economic governance.

One of the means South Africa has adopted to redress the social ills of the past is corporate social responsibility. This essentially places the onus on the business community within the country to take accountability of the social ills within the country and implement practices within their organizations to address these ills in a structured and sustainable manner. The extent to which and the manner in which this social obligation is discharged within the mining industry which represents one of the larger industries in the country formed the basis of this research.To this extent, secondary economic data was used of listed mining companies over a five year period to understand the extent to which these companies have been contributing towards the cause of socio-economic upliftment. This data was contrasted against general industry data in an attempt to gauge mining company’s commitment against the other industries operating within the country. In order to understand how CSI is interpreted and executed, 6 specialist interviews were held with senior management officials from different mining companies whilst 2 specific mining projects were considered to test the aspect of sustainability.Based on the results, mining companies similar to other companies within South Africa have demonstrated real commitment to CSI through higher annual year on year contributions. The internal processes and resources committed to CSI signal that companies have recognized the importance of CSI as a key element to their own sustainability. The research further reveals that whilst a lot is being done and continues to be done, it clearly is not enough and the country as a collective needs to consider how best to exploit its CSI resources to ensure it reaches the appropriate needs areas and further focuses more on enterprise development.<p/> / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

M. Tech. (Public Relations Management, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has turned out to be a significant subject in the businesses environment in the past twenty years and is perceived as an important element of the organisational image and corporate reputation. Corporate social investment communication provides stakeholders with information about the company‟s involvement, and about being accountable to the society. Companies use their communication about CSI initiatives to project a positive image of themselves to the stakeholders. The purpose of the study was to explore how the company‟s Corporate Social Investment activities contribute to the company‟s image and corporate reputation among the local community. The study also looked at the possible gaps between the image projected by the company through their communication about CSI activities and the communities‟ perceptions of these activities. The researcher used a case study qualitative approach with multiple data sources. The company‟s online press releases were analysed with a view to determining the corporate image projected by the company. In the second stage three focus groups were conducted with community activists, university students, and unemployed community members in order to understand the different perceptions how CSI activities influence the community stakeholders perceptions on organisation‟s reputation. The findings indicate that although there is a gap between the projected image communicated by a company and stakeholders‟ perceptions about company‟s reputation the community is generally familiar with CSI of the petrochemical company in question and that CSI activities contribute to the positive reputation of the company. Furthermore, the findings highlight the challenges of not including community stakeholders in decision making when creating CSI initiatives. Interestingly, the study reveals that organisations with CSI activities aligned to the national framework are considered socially responsible.