Agribusiness social responsibility in emerging economies: Effects of legal structure, economic performance and managers ' motivations

While corporate social responsibility (CSR) in emerging and developing countries has attracted increased attention, most research still focuses on firms that conduct CSR under pressure from the West (e.g., through the dominance of Western firms or of certification in global value chains). This article studied how CSR takes shape domestically in an emerging economy (Russia), in remote rural areas, outside the reach of international mechanisms enforcing CSR. Specifically, it investigated corporate support for social and technical infrastructure for rural communities, based on a survey of 110 farms and qualitative interviews with farm managers in the Altai region, Siberia. It showed that many farms continue Soviet-era support for infrastructure, but unevenly. Farms with the legal form of a production cooperative and those with good economic performance were most likely to conduct CSR. Most farm managers expressed care for the local community but instrumental motivations, such as keeping good relations with local authorities to ensure access to land also featured. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article explores how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is implemented domestically in remote rural areas of Russia, revealing that many farms continue to support infrastructure but unevenly. It found that farms with the legal form of a production cooperative and those with good economic performance are more likely to conduct CSR. While most farm managers express care for the local community, instrumental motivations such as maintaining good relations with local authorities for land access are also present.