Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations in Emerging Economies: Challenges and Opportunities in Tanzania

This research explores whether and how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Public Relations(PR) initiatives of companies, NGOs and semi-governmental organizations, operate in the context of a certain developing country, Tanzania. Public relations and CSR represent corporate responses to emerging challenges such as rhetorical objections from , which have given the campaigners a propaganda advantage and led, at the same time, to increased international scrutiny of practices within the mining sector. There are various structural factors, including power asymmetries between the state, transnational corporations (TNCs), and NGOs in Tanzania, which are simultaneously putting in place, so forming conditions that circumscribe government and corporate action. It adopts a grounded theory approach using multiple sources of evidence namely secondary data sources, interviews, and direct observations. While the phenomenon under study is relatively recent with scarce theoretical foundations, the findings of this study make a significant contribution to the theory and practice of CSR. The study is novel in that it illustrates not only new empirical data from a developing country but also cross-sectoral CSR initiatives in the country. This paper presents the dynamics of CSR initiatives of companies, NGOs and semi-governmental organizations, intending to act as a pro-social force in Tanzanian society. The findings suggest that evolving cross-sectoral partnerships are necessary to identify responsibilities inherent to society, government, and the business sector. However, this study also highlights that the current preference for self-regulation by relying on principles or guidelines risks replacing law with a management approach to social issues. Data from interviews with representatives of companies, NGOs, semi-governmental organizations, and semi-partnership organizations contribute to a comprehensive picture of CSR initiatives. Based on the research evidence, we conclude that business participation in CSR should be considered a complementary rather than a substitute feature for government action. We suggest that incentives for businesses to participate in CSR and public infrastructure for social partnership should proceed in close coordination.