A comparison of corporate social responsibility practices in the Singapore, Australia and New Zealand construction industries

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 190; pp. 149 - 159
• Main Authors: Loosemore, M., Lim, B.T.H., Ling, F.Y.Y., Zeng, H.Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.07.2018
• Subjects: Australia; Construction industry; Corporate social responsibility; Cultural; New Zealand; Practices; Singapore; Practices; New Zealand; Corporate social responsibility; Singapore; Australia; Cultural; Construction industry
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.157

The construction industry has a major social, cultural, environmental and economic impact on the environment in which it operates. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) research in construction is growing, it is highly UK-centric and there has been no comparative research of construction industry CSR practices between different countries. Addressing the need for such research in an increasingly globalised construction industry, and adopting a cultural relativist perspective which recognises the contextuality of CSR practices, this paper presents a comparative study of CSR practices in the construction supply chains of the Singapore, Australia and New Zealand construction industries. Analysis of CSR data collected via an on-line survey of 137 firms in the construction supply chains of these countries using the Kruskal Wallis H-test and Relative Prevalence Indexing results indicate a compliance-based approach to CSR in all three countries and a common focus on environmental and safety issues. The social dimension of CSR is yet to mature, particularly in the areas of community interaction, disability, wellness, childcare and ageing. There is also significant reluctance to interfere with supply chains to achieve CSR objectives. Outside these similarities, numerous differences in CSR practices are found between these countries adding to our understanding of the influence of differing regulatory imperatives, institutional factors, workforce structures and demographics and cultural factors. The findings also add to our understanding of the interactions between formal and informal CSR policies and practices in different cultural contexts and the potential value of New Institutionalist Theory as a new conceptual lens to explore this issue further. •This study offers new insights into the CSR practices of construction firms in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.•The results reflect a compliance-based approach to CSR in all three countries, mainly focusing on environmental and safety issues.•However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge of how to effectively manage supply chains to minimise environmental impact.•The social dimension of CSR is yet to mature, particularly in the areas of community interaction, childcare and ageing.•Overall, Singapore CSR business practices appear to be less formal and less mature than those of Australia and New Zealand.