CSR the new alleviation concept to reduce poverty and ensure sustainable development?: - A case study from Ghana

Kristensen, Maria Vinther

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2014

2014-10-01

60

På trods af store fremskridt frem mod 2015—hvor den globale fattigdom ifølge Verdensbanken var halveret, og 2015‑målene var nået—lever omkring 1 milliard mennesker stadig i ekstrem fattigdom, og fattigdomsgraden i Subsaharisk Afrika stiger. Uligheden er vokset i takt med globaliseringen, og store virksomheder har fået mere magt og står i mediernes søgelys for at tage et socialt ansvar. Dette speciale undersøger virksomheders sociale ansvar (CSR) gennem et casestudie af Toms konfekturevirksomhed (Toms) for at vurdere, om CSR kan være et effektivt middel til at reducere fattigdom og fremme udvikling i Ghana. Analysen bygger på en evaluering foretaget af Ibis, en rapport fra Toms og et interview med Toms’ CSR‑chef, Lene Lorenzen, samt baggrundsviden om Ghana fra bøger, websider og rapporter. Den empiriske del beskriver de centrale aktører, hvordan Ghana fungerer, og Toms’ CSR‑indsatser i landet. Teoretisk sammenlignes Toms’ indsatser med en strategi for fattigdomsbekæmpelse og en strategi for bæredygtig udvikling. Derudover bruges interessentteori (at virksomheder bør tage hensyn til alle berørte grupper) og afhængighedsteori (at ekstern støtte kan skabe afhængighed) til at diskutere, hvor bæredygtig udviklingen er—om Ghana bliver afhængig af Toms, eller om Toms’ inddragelse af interessenter skaber varige resultater. Analysen viser, at Toms’ CSR‑indsatser til en vis grad stemmer overens med den ghanesiske National Development Planning Commissions strategi for fattigdomsbekæmpelse. Ghana klarer sig relativt godt på flere krav til bæredygtig udvikling, men der er plads til forbedring i forhold til mobilisering af ressourcer. Overordnet fremstår Toms’ CSR som bæredygtig og som noget, der skaber udvikling frem for afhængighed, og virksomheden inddrager forskellige interessenter på en måde, der begrænser afhængighed.

Despite major progress by 2015—when global poverty had halved according to the World Bank and the Millennium Development Goals were reached—about 1 billion people still live in extreme poverty, and the poverty rate in Sub‑Saharan Africa is rising. Inequality has grown with globalization, and large companies have gained more power and face media pressure to act responsibly. This thesis examines corporate social responsibility (CSR)—companies’ voluntary efforts to address social and environmental issues—through a case study of Toms, a confectionery company, to assess whether CSR can effectively reduce poverty and support development in Ghana. The study draws on an evaluation conducted by Ibis, a report by Toms, and an interview with Toms’ CSR manager, Lene Lorenzen, along with background information on Ghana from books, web sources, and reports. The empirical section outlines the key actors, how Ghana functions, and Toms’ CSR initiatives in the country. The analysis compares Toms’ initiatives with a poverty‑reduction strategy and a sustainable development strategy. It also uses Stakeholder Theory (firms should consider all affected groups) and Dependency Theory (external support can create reliance) to discuss how sustainable the development is—whether Ghana becomes dependent on Toms or whether Toms’ engagement with stakeholders creates lasting results. The findings show that Toms’ CSR initiatives align to some extent with the Ghanaian National Development Planning Commission’s poverty‑reduction strategy. Ghana performs relatively well on several requirements for sustainable development but needs to improve resource mobilization. Overall, Toms’ CSR efforts appear sustainable and contribute to development rather than dependency, and the company involves different stakeholders in ways that limit dependency.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Toms ; fattigdom ; Udvikling ; bæredygtig ; CSR

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