A Decolonial Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility

• Published in: Journal of management, spirituality & religion
• Main Author: Jung, Young H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Management Practice; Religion; Eastern Philosophies; Corporate Social Responsibility (csr); Family Business; Chaebols; Decoloniality
• ISSN: 1476-6086
• DOI: 10.51327/XQZE7744

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) stands as a pervasive global trend. Scholarly observations indicate a proactive CSR stance predominantly among Western firms compared to their Asian counterparts. Existing studies explore this regional disparity, but scant attention has been devoted to unraveling the historical origins of CSR in the Western tradition, where private or nonprofit institutions such as churches historically shaped social responsibility (SR). This historical context of SR may pose intriguing questions regarding regions where the Western corporate structure and CSR were transplanted, suggesting CSR practices may differ. This study employs a decolonial perspective to explore the influence of religious affiliations on the social contributions of Korean family business groups (chaebols). Findings reveal that chaebols whose families practice Christianity contribute more to society than those following Buddhism. This study also uncovers the enduring impact of chaebols’ previous colonial experience on the current relationship between their religious affiliations and social contributions.