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The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Brand Image: A case study on Globacom Limited
Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 9
1.1 RESEARCH RATIONALE ........................................................................................... 11
1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM ............................................................................................... 11
1.3 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................ 12
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................ 13
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 13
1.6 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH ....................................................................................... 14
1.7 DISSERTATION STRUCTURE ................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 16
2.1 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ................................................................ 16
2.2.1 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX........................................ 17
2.2.2 TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE MODEL ........................................................................ 18
2.2.1 MODERN CONCEPT OF CSR ............................................................................. 19
2.2 BRAND IMAGE ............................................................................................................ 21
2.3 CSR AND BRAND IMAGE ......................................................................................... 23
2.4 ADVANTAGES OF CSR .............................................................................................. 24
2.5 CSR AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.................................................................... 26
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................. 29
2.7 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 31
3.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 31
3.2 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY ......................................................................................... 32
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACHES ........................................................................................ 32
3.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY ............................................................................................. 33
3.5 RESEARCH CHOICE ................................................................................................... 33
3.6 TIME HORIZONS ......................................................................................................... 34
3.7 RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION METHODS ........................................................ 34
3.8 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN PROCESS ...................................................................... 36
3.8.1 SPECIFY THE INFORMATION NEEDED .......................................................... 37
3.8.2 SPECIFY THE INTERVIEWING METHOD ....................................................... 38
3.8.3 DETERMINE THE CONTENT OF INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS ....................... 39
3.8.4 RESPONDERS’ UNWILLINGNESS TO ANSWER ............................................ 39
3.8.5 DECIDE ON THE QUESTIONS STRUCTURE ................................................... 39
3.8.6 FINALIZE THE QUESTION WORDING ............................................................ 39
3.8.7 ARRANGE THE QUESTIONS IN PROPER ORDER ......................................... 40
3.8.8 IDENTIFY FORM AND LAYOUT ....................................................................... 40
3.8.9 PILOT TESTING OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................... 40
3.9 DATA ANALYSIS PLAN............................................................................................. 40
3.10 SAMPLING AND SAMPLE SIZE ............................................................................... 40
3.11 ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES: ........................................................................................... 43
3.12 ETHICAL ISSUES ........................................................................................................ 44
3.13 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 44
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................... 45
4.1. PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS ............................................................................... 45
4.2. CONCERN TOWARDS EMPLOYEES ....................................................................... 46
4.2.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS ....................................................................... 48
4.3. OPERATING ENVIRONMENT CONCERN ............................................................... 49
4.3.1. DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS ....................................................................... 50
4.4. COMMUNITY WELLBEING ...................................................................................... 51
4.4.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS ....................................................................... 53
4.5. IMPACT OF CSR ON ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE ...................... 53
4.5.1 DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RESULT ................................................................. 55
4.6. CHALLENGES OF CSR ............................................................................................... 55
4.6.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS ....................................................................... 57
4.7. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 57
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 61
ANNEXURE-1 : QUESTIONNAIRE .......................................................................................... 61
ANNEXURE-2: RESULTS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN TABULAR FORM .................... 63
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My thanks to my teachers, friends, family , and my guide for their constant support in the process
of the research and writing of this report.
And my biggest thanks to the Lord who gave me everything I have.
Abstract
CSR has become an important part of a company’s plan in the recent time. The CSR helps the
society and also helps the company to boost their brand image. Brand image is mainly known as
the way the customer sees and perceives the brand. Stakeholders are interested in knowing the
extent to which the CSR activities are undertaken and the extent to which the company gives
back to the society. The employees are not only the participants of the CSR activities, but they
are also the first hand viewer to notice the impact and the sincerity of the CSR activities. The
current research tries to understand the relationship between the CSR activities and brand image
of the company with special focus on employees’ perception. The company selected for the
purpose is Globacom Limited.
A questionnaire regarding the company’s CSR activities is distributed among the employees to
understand their response to the CSR activities of the company. It is observed that the company’s
activities are well-known and recognized in terms of the operating environment as well as the
community welfare area. The company’s CSR efforts are not perceived by the employees in
terms of the employee welfare or in terms of the climate issues of the company. The employees
agree that the CSR activities of the company plays an important role in the market as such efforts
provide major competitive boost for the company.
The research recommends the improvement in the employee welfare programs and the
participation of the CSR activities like climate control to promote the brand image of Globacom
further.
List of Abbreviations
CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility
Ltd. : Limited
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The interest in corporate social responsibility has been growing in recent times. While earlier the
sole focus of the companies used to be on the sales, the focus has moved to profit these days.
Similarly the focus has also shifted towards the impact of the company on the society. The
stakeholders these days believe that the companies should accept the responsibilities for their
actions and should be accountable for the effect the action is causing. The idea that the
organization should work keeping in view the society and the operating environment is termed as
the corporate social responsibility.
European Commission defines the Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR as the responsibility
that the companies and enterprises have for the kind of impact that they have on society. In other
words, the CSR can be defined as the practices the company follows to make the positive impact
on the society. It is the way with which the company pays back to the community in terms of the
infrastructure, employment opportunities, social development etc. Another definition of the CSR
has been given by Mohr, Webb and Harris (2001) who defines CSR as the effort of the company
and the company’s responsibility to control the harmful effects caused by them to the society.
They also work towards improving their positive and useful impact to the society (MOHR, L. A.
et al., 2001).
Brand image is mainly known as the way the customer sees and perceives the brand. The good
brand image is necessary for the company to be favorable among the customers. The brand
image is associated with the brand name, characteristics and the connection between the two
(KELLER, K.L., 2003). Good brand image is necessary for the market position of the company
(AAKER, D. A., 1992)A positive image will increase the retention of customers and their
contentment and loyalty (LAI, F. et al., 2009).
While earlier the CSR used to be followed in the name only, these days the focus has shifted to
real CSR activities as the companies have realized that the right kind of CSR activities can
impact the company’s brand image as well. This change in brand image adds to the
competitiveness of the company as well. Not only for the customers, is the brand image essential
for attracting talent as well. In 2004, a survey was conducted by Deloitte & Touché, USA which
indicated that around 72% of the employees prefer to work in an organization which participate
in the charitable activities (MEISTER, Jeanne, 2012). Because of this, the CSR has also been
included as a part of the financial statements. In many countries like Nigeria, the governments
have their regulations which encourage the CSR activities and even provide some rebates in lieu
of these activities.
The current research is conducted to understand the relationship between the CSR activities of
the company and the brand image developed among the employees and customers with respect to
the CSR activities. For the purpose, Globacom Limited has been selected as the company for the
case study. The company is the prime example of CSR activities and has taken many activities
for the betterment of the immediate community in Africa where it is situated. These CSR
activities have involved the development of the community, sponsorship, social programmes etc
(GLOBACOM LTD. , n.d.). The purpose of the research is to understand the effect these CSR
activities and the reach of these activities with respect to the brand image of the company as
perceived by the employees of the company.
1.1 RESEARCH RATIONALE
As explained above the research will focus on mainly two areas: the corporate social
responsibility and the brand image. The relationship between the two variables will be explored
further with respect to the selected company. The employees are not only the participants of the
CSR activities, but they are also the first hand viewer to notice the impact and the sincerity of the
CSR activities. CSR activities are essential for the success of the company in the current
environment. Stakeholders are interested in knowing the extent to which the CSR activities are
undertaken and the extent to which the company gives back to the society. The brand image of
the company helps in maintaining the good reputation among the community, government and
the employees as well (Ellen, Webb & Mohr, 2006). When the brand image is perceived is good,
the company will gain in terms of the profit as well as the goodwill.
Many studies have been conducted in terms of CSR, but these studies on CSR and brand image have
mostly focused on the product-based industry and less on the service industry ( (B. CASADO-DÍAZ,
A. et al., 2014); (GRÖNROOS, C., 2007). The product industry also is expanding in the venture of
service provision and hence it is necessary to understand the impact the CSR activities have on the
service-cum-product industry like Globacom Limited. The CSR activities have become an
essential part of the business strategies of the company, and this research helps in understanding
how the brand image changes with the CSR activities.
1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM
Thus problem statement of the research can be stated as to ―understand the relationship between
the CSR activities and brand image of the company with special focus on employees’
perception‖.
1.3 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The main aim of this research is to determine the relationship between corporate social
responsibility and brand image of Globacom Ltd. and to recommend the further stepps that can
be taken in order to improve the brand image of the company.
The following are the objectives of the study:
To understand the campaign of CSR of Globacom Ltd and its impact.
This objective will aim to understand what CSR activities are being following by the company,
and what kind of known impact it has made. Literature review will be the main source of the
information about this objectives.
To investigate the relationship between brand CSR and employees’ satisfaction.
This objective aims at drawing the relationship between the the CSR of the brand and the
employees’ satisfaction. Primary survey will be mainly used for this purpose.
To determine the impact of brand image in the perception of employees.
This objective focuses on understanding how the employees perceive the brand image of the
company. The primary survey will be used to understand this.
To analyze the relationship between brand image and CSR.
This objective focuses on understanding how the CSR activities changes the brand images in the
view of the employees. This objective is sought to be achieved using the primary data collected
from the survey.
To recommend the steps in terms of CSR for the company to improve the brand image.
The final objective of the research is to recommend the steps that the company can take in terms
of CSR activities to improve its image. The same is achieved using the analysis of both primary
and the secondary data.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The above objectives are fulfilled by answering the research questions. The researcher intends to
provide research question that provides direction for the research.
i) What are the major CSR activities followed by Globacom Ltd?
ii) What relationship exists between the CSR and the brand image?
iii) How does the employee perceive the CSR activities of the Globacom Ltd?
iv) How is the brand perceived by the employees of Globacom Ltd?
v) Does employee perception changes with the change in the CSR activities of the
company?
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The current research will be an interpretive and inductive research wherein data will be collected
first and then the research theories will be formed with respect to the CSR activities and the
brand image.
The researcher uses both methods of data collection: primary and the secondary methods. The
primary data is collected by the researcher with the use of questionnaire for such collection from
the participants. The secondary data collection method is used to collect data that are already on
the subject matter and existing sources on the analysis of the impact of CSR on Brand Image of
GLO from journals, Google books, websites etc.
In gaining access to data, the primary data will be collected from the staff of Glo and will be
administered on them during their break time so as not to disturb their work schedule. Interview
will be conducted on senior staff that may not be able to fill the documents. The secondary data
will be sourced from other materials like the Internet and from books at the library. The
researcher will be using the GLOBACOM office in Abuja Nigeria to carry out the research work.
The reason is that of the cost of moving from one branch to the other all over the nation may be
too time-consuming and costly
The research will be carried out using both qualitative and quantitative designs. The qualitative
designs will be used to study the CSR activities followed by the company in the current scenario
and what kind of impact these CSR activities have. The quantitative analysis will be used for the
primary data which will assess the impact of the CSR activities on the brand image of the
company. The quantitative analysis will be conducted to understand how the employees perceive
these CSR activities as and how much of this is essential for the brand image of the company.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
The research is limited to the study of the relationship between the CSR activities and brand
image for Globacom Ltd. The office focused for the purpose is Abuja Nigeria office of the
company. The relationship between the company’s image and the CSR activities is analyzed with
respect to the employees’ perception only. The customers’ view for the same is beyond the scope
of the research.
1.7 DISSERTATION STRUCTURE
The research report is divided into the following major sections:
Introduction : This chapter introduces the subject of the research and lays down the
research objectives and the research questions. The research methodology is also
explained in brief in the chapter.
Literature Review: The second chapter of the report is the literature review which will
analyze the associated literature of the subject. The literature review is conducted to
understand the literature associated with the brand image and CSR activities and also to
find out the CSR activities already used in the company.
Methodology: The methodology is an essential part of the research as this methodology
itself decides whether the research will be successful or not. This chapter explains the
research methodology along with the rationale for the questions selected for the
questionnaire.
Analysis and Findings: This chapter will focus on interpretation of the data obtained
using the questionnaire method. The data obtained via questionnaire will be analyzed
quantitatively and the discussion is conducted with respect to how the answers shows the
influence of CSR on brand image.
Conclusions and Future Research Scope: This chapter summarizes the results and
presents the recommendations for the company. The research questions are answered in
this chapter and the future scope of further research is also discussed.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter builds the foundation of the research. It explores the various concepts associated with
the research. The first section focuses on the CSR and its various definitions. The second section of
the literature review focuses on the brand image. Further, the relationship between the two and the
advantages of CSR activities are developed. The next section of the review focuses on the employees
with respect to the impact of CSR activities on the employees.
2.1 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Many definitions of social responsibility have come up over the period of time by different writers
and scholars, but there is no consensus on the single definition as each of the definition explores the
different concept associated with the CSR.
In 1950s, Bowen explained CSR as the obligation of the businessman to ensure that the decision,
policies, or line of action followed by the company was desirable with respect to the objectives and
the values of the society (KASHYAP, R. et al., 2011). The discussion moved towards the needs of
the society and profit maximization being the CSR in 1960s. The CSR activities finally gained
importance in 1980s when the business started taking it seriously (KASHYAP, R. et al., 2011).
Friedman in 1970 has explained that for the social responsibility, either the customers or the
employees have to pay for it (WINDSOR, D., 2006). The aim of the CSR is to increase the
profit, specifically the shareholders’ value. Uddin, Hassan and Tarique (2008) explains that CSR
should not been as a threat to the profit making of the company, but CSR is more of an
opportunity which shall be seen as the advantage for the company. These sections explain the
major models of CSR proposed by the scholars (UDDIN, M.B. et al., 2008).
2.2.1 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX
A major definition of CSR has been defined by Carroll who organized CSR in the four sections:
economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic (discretionary) activities in the form of a pyramid model.
He defined that the CSR is the sum of the all the four activities together for any business at a given
period of time without any particular preference to the another (CARROLL, A.B., 1991)
(CARROLL, A.B., 1999). Carroll claimed that the first and foremost category was the economic
responsibility of the company which is required by the society. The legal responsibility comes next
and that as well is required by the society. The next two levels of pyramid, i.e. the ethical and
philanthropic levels are not required by the society, but it is still expected by the society. This
pyramid of responsibilities is termed as the Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility
(SCHWARTZ, M.S. and Carroll, A.B., 2003). Even today this is a well-accepted model of CSR. The
following figure shows Carroll’s CSR pyramid.
Figure 1: Carroll's Pyramid of Responsibility (SCHWARTZ, M.S. and Carroll, A.B., 2003)
The model explains that the economic responsibility is the fundamental responsibilities of all the
businesses, that is they must be able to produce and sell and fulfill their economic mission in the
society. This fulfillment of mission should be carried out in the legal framework of laws and
regulations. Furthermore, it is desirable that both the economic and fundamental activities follow
the ethical norms of the society. Furthermore, other ethical activities that are beyond the legal
and economic activities are also expected to be followed by the companies. An example of
ethical responsibility will be that the company should be able to produce goods and sell them at a
reasonable price (VELENTZAS and Broni, 2010). The philanthropic responsibility consists of
business discretion as per the expectations of the society for example, avoiding hazardous waste
within the service industry or being involved in community issues. All these four activities form
the pillars of the CSR (IAMANDI, I., 2007). By strategizing and following these four pillars of
the CSR, a company is able to make a brand which is well-known in the world and develop their
own loyalty base (VELENTZAS and Broni, 2010).
This model was further developed by Wartick and Cochran (1985) who made the three legs of
the CSR as economic responsibility, public responsibility, and social responsiveness
(WARTICK, S.L. and Cochran, P.L., 1985).
2.2.2 TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE MODEL
The Triple Bottom line model was developed in 1990s by Elkington. Unlike the above model,
this model takes into account the sustainability issues associated with CSR. Thus along with
profitability, this model also considers the impact of the business on the environment and the
social dimension. As per this model, the performance of the business shall be measured on three
scale: profit, people and planet. These 3Ps are the major tools with which a company can attain
sustainability. Profit is associated with the financial dimension of CSR; people makes the social
dimension of CSR; while the planet marks the environmental dimension of the CSR. The model
believes that making profits is essential but the same shall be done without harming the people or
the planet. The model believes that the company should strive to be cost-effective but at the same
time take into account the employees and the community and consider the planet and pollution
before making the decisions and policies. The measurement of TBL can vary according to the
project and company and the goal it wants to achieve (HALL, T.J., 2011).
2.2.1 MODERN CONCEPT OF CSR
These days, CSR is an important factor in the eyes of employees, consumers and the other
stakeholders. The business makes the profit when the society consumes the products and services
created by them, and hence business shall pay back to the society in some manner in order to
maintain the sustainability of the business (UDDIN, M.B. et al., 2008). It has been well-
established that CSR is not a choice that a company makes or an additional cost to the company
(JHUNJHUNWALA, S., 2014). It is the part and parcel of the definition of the business.
Jhunjhunwala (2014) states that the CSR activities need to be developed and integrated by the
business in order for the businesses to be successful (JHUNJHUNWALA, S., 2014).
Several researches have been carried out to this respect. One of the research was carried by
Mahonet and Thorne in 2005 that focused on examination of how CSR affected the long-term
compensation for 90 publicly traded Canadian firms. The results that firm’s environmental action
and the CSR activities contributed positively to the long term compensation of the executives of
the firm (MAHONEY, L. S. and Thorne, Linda, 2005). Similar research was carried out in
Europe which showed that the consumers not only expect the quality products from the company
but are also concerned about whether companies produce these goods in socially responsible
way. In Europe, not only the large companies , but also the SMEs and primary small companies
work together for incorporation of CSR with the help of tools like mission statement, code of
conduct, core values and stakeholders’ responsibilities (DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR
EMPLOYMENT, 2001). The studies have clearly indicated that the consumers reward the companies
with the proactive CSR. In the world where the products are turning more similar and companies are
competing on such a line, CSR becomes an important concept for the companies to work upon and
elaborate (CALABRESE, A. et al., 2013).
The impact of such CSR is that it has increased the opportunities for the companies with which
they can work towards the intangible aspects of the brand and image. The basic advantage of
CSR is that it achieves awareness and is essential for social and environmental sustainability in
the longer run, but the growing favoritism of the companies with positive CSR image is another
considered advantage. For international companies, this advantage becomes the base line of their
performance measurement (DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EMPLOYMENT, 2001).
The company selected, Globacom, also seems to have understood the importance of CSR as the
company is participating in a lot many activities and sponsorships for the CSR activities. The
company has established its CSR mission to make the difference in the social areas, sports, and
job improvement condition in Africa. The websites list the major CSR activities as following:
i) Signing up of Manchester United Sponsorship: The company’s idea is to establish the
African Football and increase its level. This factor include providing necessary funds
to the African youths for growth in Football sports along with the sponsorship of the
Manchester United.
ii) CNN African Voices: The company has joined hands with CNN African voices to
provide the platform for the African great people before Europe, US, and rest of the
world.
iii) Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature: The Company provides the cash award for the
literature to encourage the African literature.
iv) Sponsorship for other national football teams: The Company also sponsors the
national team throughout the Africa promoting football.
v) Sponsorship for Half Marathon: The Company has also sponsored the half marathon
in African area for past few years (GLOBACOM LTD. , n.d.).
2.2 BRAND IMAGE
The research delves into how CSR affects the brand image, but what exactly is the brand image
is the first question we need to understand. The concept of the brand can be seen in early 20th
century as well, but the brand, as we know today, was developed in 1950s. A strong brand is
considered as an important part of the firm (GRÖNROOS, C., 2007). A brand is the name, term,
sign, symbol or any other feature that the people associated with the company. The brand and its
concept is easier to define in terms of the products, but in case of service company, the service
process becomes the major brand characteristics.
Having a strong brand gives a company many advantages. The biggest advantage is that the
company earns the customers’ loyalty, and hence becomes less vulnerable to market’s
competitive strategies. If the CSR of the company is effective, then the company can charge even
the higher price for the same work (APÉRIA, T. et al., 2004). The success of the brand leads to
increase in the intangible asset of the company termed as brand equity (GRÖNROOS, C., 2007).
Brand equity can be defined as the set of intangible assets associated with the brand that adds or
subtracts value to the company and its’ customers (AAKER, D. A., 1992).There are four major
components of brand equity: brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality and brand
associations (AAKER, D. A., 1992). Brand equity helps the company by retaining and attaining
the customers and maintaining a competitive position in the market (APÉRIA, T. et al., 2004).
Another definition of brand equity is given by Keller (2003).
The differential effect that brand knowledge has on the customer response to the marketing of that
brand. Equity occurs when the customer is familiar with the brand and holds some favorable, strong
and unique brand associations in memory (KELLER, K.L., 2003).
Thus the brand image is defined by mainly three kinds of association as per Keller: attributes,
benefits and attitudes. Attributes are the characteristics that can describe the service. The product
related attributes are that the product behaves as per the expectations of the customers. Non-
product related attribute includes the information about the price, the impression of the product
in the customers’ mind etc (KELLER, K.L., 2003).
The benefits are the values that the customer links with the product. These benefits can be
functional, symbolic or experiential. Functional benefits solve the basic needs of the customers
for which the product has been purchased like product attributes. The experiential benefits are
the benefits which satisfies the needs of the customers with respect to the pleasure, well-being,
stimulation etc. The symbolic benefits are the non-product related attributes and satisfies the
customers’ need for social approval or personal expression. The attitude is how customer sees
the brand overall (APÉRIA, T. et al., 2004).
As mentioned earlier, a strong brand image adds to the equity of the brand perceived by the
customers (APÉRIA, T. et al., 2004). A strong brand image improves the experience of the
customers and is an essential intangible asset for the company. A company works towards the
management of positive communication with the customers in order to improve its brand image. The
marketing sectors work independently to promote the ―brand identity‖ of the company in the eyes of
the customers (GRÖNROOS, C., 2007). The companies need to work to keep the brand identity as
desired by the marketer and the brand image in the mind of the customers the same. For the service
industry, brand image becomes more important because a brand has to work on the emotional level
with the consumers as well. As the consumers are aware about the brand in emotional level too in
case of service, the brand has to develop an image that resonates with the emotional perception of the
brand as well.
2.3 CSR AND BRAND IMAGE
Nowadays, customers have high expectations from the CSR of the company, and with the increased
focus on the CSR, these expectations are growing stronger. Customers expect the companies to work
in line with social and emotional values (POPOLI, P., 2011). It has been seen that the brands that are
based on the emotional values are less likely to face the threat of strong competition (MARTÍNEZ, P.
et al., 2014). Thus CSR can be associated with the emotional aspect of the brand image which adds to
the competitiveness of a company (MARTÍNEZ, P. et al., 2014). The company is likely to have a
strong hold in the market it its positioning in terms of CSR permeates the core values of the company
(DU, S. et al., 2010). The companies use CSR as a marketing strategy to gain protection from the
brand attacks (MARTÍNEZ, P. et al., 2014).
It has already been explained above that a company with a strong brand is less likely to have
problems with reputation, and this is where CSR helps the company . CSR is used as the
strategic branding tool by the management to communicate with the customers. Du,
Bhattacharya &Sen (2007) states that CSR initiatives help in developing the customers’ behavior
and attitude in such a way that it is in favor of the company. This strengthens the brand image of
the company and that is the reason many of the companies participate in CSR activities (DU, S.
et al., 2010).
CSR and brand image are strongly linked to each other. CSR has now become a core ingredient
of the brand image and has turned into a strategic necessity for the company, unlike the past
where it was a choice for the companies (MARTÍNEZ, P. et al., 2014)
Casado Diaz et. al. (2014) states that customers are more favorable towards the companies that are
involved in CSR.The service quality of a company and how it is evaluated and perceived by the
company can change as per the CSR activities of the company. The uncertainty of the service in such
cases thereby decreases (B. CASADO-DÍAZ, A. et al., 2014). Martínez, Perez and Rodriguez del
Bosque (2014) also statedthe similar thing in writing that CSR positively impacts the brand image
and earns the customers’ loyalty. They also stated that CSR activities ensures positive word-of-
mouth publicity and increased purchase intentions of the customers (MARTÍNEZ, P. et al., 2014).
2.4 ADVANTAGES OF CSR
The major advantages of CSR can be divided into five main sections:
1. Positive effects on company image and reputation: As explained above, the brand image
of the company can be deeply affected by the CSR activities. The CSR activities ensure
that the customers have positive impression of the company and hence add to the
reputation of the company. This in turn improves the customer loyalty and gives some
protection to the companies from the brand attacks ( (MARTÍNEZ, P. et al., 2014)).
2. Positive effects on employee motivation, retention, and recruitment: Apart from affecting
the customers’ perception of the company, CSR can also affect the employees’ outlook
towards the company. CSR can motivate the employees commitment by giving them the
sense that they are working in a better environment and adding their bit to the society.
Participation in the voluntary activities also help in building the team and giving the
sense of achievement to the employees. CSR is known to be an important deciding factor
for the potential employees of the compaies as well.
3. Cost savings: Scholars have discussed the cost saving in the employment of sustainable
practices. They argue that companies can gain financially as well through CSR activities
by implementing the sustainability strategy and meeting the stakeholders’ expectations.
4. Revenue increases from higher sales and market share: CSR has been known to improve
the companies’ sales and revenue by either improving the brand image or by the sales
through the CSR-based products and services.
5. CSR-related risk reduction or management: CSR can be a big help in reduction of the risk
associated with the negative publicity and negative press. It also provides a strong barrier
in terms of the brand attacks or the competition in the market (WERTHER, W.B. and
Chandler, D., 2004).
Figure 2: Advantages of CSR activities
A look at the company Globacom showed similar results. In one of articles, the company,
Gloworld, has been acknowledged as socially conscientious with its CSR activities in the field of
entertainment and sports (BILLBOARD, 2016). In another of the news report, the Governor
Akwa Ibom State appreciated the company’s act of social responsibility (DAILY TRUST, 2015).
2.5 CSR AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
As explained above the CSR activities also work in favor of the employees in different manners.
Since the current research focuses on understanding the CSR activities from the employees’
perception, this section is mainly focused on understanding how CSR is essential for the
employees. The section also brings out the past researches that have been conducted with the
employees’ perception of the CSR activities.
The impact of CSR for the employees can be described for three different reasons.
1. People want to do meaningful work: Human nature is such that they like to do something
positive and feel that they have done something special for the society. In the researches,
it has been seen that the employees are dissatisfied because they feel that the job lacks
purpose or they are just disengaged with the job. Only 14% of the employees of Western
Europe felt that they felt engaged in the organization in 2012. The CSR activities can
help in improving the sense of purpose of the employees and reduce the turnover rate
(STAWISKI, Sarah, 2010).
2. CSR increases engagement: If employees are made the part of the CSR activities, their
engagement in the company increases. The research has shown that when the employees
are involved in the CSR activities, almost 86% of these employees feel that they are
engaged with the company . In such cases, the employees feel more proud of the
company and they are more likely to recommend the company to their friends as well
(STAWISKI, Sarah, 2010).
3. Millennials are coming: Deloitte’s 2015 surve3y indicated that the 90% of the millennial
indicated that they want to do something positive for the society. 50% of the employees
were even ready for the pay cut if that meant that they will be able to give back to the
society. This makes CSR an important deciding factor for the employees regarding where
they want to work. This graphic clearly indicate the preference of the employees
regarding their working preference:
Figure 3: Employees and CSR preference Statistics
Different scholars have listed out the advantages of CSR and linked them with employees:
i) Fombrun & Shanley (1990) stated that the CSR canbig tool of advertisement for
hiring the capable and skilled employees. Since CSR adds to the corporate figure and
reputation, it is a perfect marketing tool not only for the customers but also for the
employers. The employees perception towards CSR activities is highly positive to do
their work every effectively and efficiently (C, Fombrun and M., Shanley, 1990).
ii) Wood & Jones (1995) although investigation has not been carried out to the effect, it
is estimated that the CSR activities can positively impact the employees’ performance
and in turn can give a boost to organizations’ financial performance (WOOD, D.J.
and Jones, R.E, 1995).
iii) Riordan stated a similar fact wherein he indicated that the CSR activities can result in
employee satisfaction and hence reduce the turnover rate of the company
(O’RIORDAN, L. and Fairbrass, J., 2008).
iv) Balmer and Greyser (2002) did a research with an effect and deduced that the
employees behavior with the company is strongly influenced by their stand in terms
of social responsibility (BALMER, J.M. and Greyser, S.A., 2002).
The above lists clearly indicate that CSR is an important part of the company’s employee
engagement and retention program and can make a huge difference in the brand image the
employees have of the company with themselves. Furthermore, since employees act as the brand
ambassador to the company, having the employees engaged in CSR means a better brand image
for the company as well.
The literature or the news anywhere does not mention anything related to the employee’s
contribution in CSR for GLO. The company’s efforts have been lauded at different places as
explained above. But the company has not emerged as the leader in terms of the CSR activities in
other areas of the CSR. Although it has been hinted at, there have not been reports of the
participation in the field of education or health. Literature does not indicate any of the CSR
activities geared towards the employee benefits. This is the biggest limitation of the available
research and literature (GLOBACOM LTD. , n.d.).
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Based on the above discussion the conceptual framework is developed which talks about the
relation between the CSR activities and how the employees’ perception of it represents the
customers’ perception as well. In the end the same is directly proportional to the brand image of
the company.
2.7 SUMMARY
The above literature review indicated that employees’ perception of CSR is an important
deciding factor for the CSR activities. The CSR and brand image are correlated and thus CSR
can deeply impact the brand image of the company.
Brand Image
-Brand Equity
- Brand Identity
- Increase Opportunity
- Loyalty Base
- Profit Maximization
- Competitive Advantage
Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
i) Societal Values
ii) Operating
Environment
iii) Community
Participation
iv) Employee
Participation
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
A research can be carried in many ways. Selecting the right way to carry the research is
essential for the success of the research. The chapter of research methodologies explains the
different ways available to the researcher for research and selects the best way for the research.
An attempt is also made to explain the process of developing the questionnaire followed by
explanation for each of the question. The chapter begins with different research option the
researcher can select and throws light on its advantages and disadvantages. Final solution is
selected based on these pros and cons of the methods. The next section explains the steps to
questionnaire followed by the reason behind each of the question.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Saunders Invalid source specified.has stressed the importance of knowledge about what
is to be researched and how the research is carried out. He has explained that the quality of the
research is directly proportional to the planning as well as the understanding of the research
process researcher plans to follow. Similar explanation is given by Fisher as well who explains
that the research involves collection of data to answer the question, and the same can be done
rightly only if the researcher is aware of the different research options he or she hasInvalid
source specified.. Research methodology can be defined as the process as per which the research
is conducted Invalid source specified.. Research can be carried out in multiple forms and
methods and research methodologies studies these methods to select the best method. The result
of the research is very much dependent upon what method the researcher has used for the
research and hence needs to be selected quite carefully. Research methodologies eases the
process of that method selection. Invalid source specified..
3.2 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY
Research philosophy provides the way the research deduces the research results, and
hence it is necessary to select the right research philosophyInvalid source specified.. There are
around 10 different kinds of research philosophies which the researcher can select from. These
philosophies include realism, positivism, subjectivism, objectivism , ontology, and axiology etc.
The research philosophy adopted for the current research is epistemology. The research
will be done with a philosophy that mixes the positivism and interpretivism. Since the research
involves interpretation of the data to analyze the data obtained and literature as well. Positivist
theory ensures that the research data obtained is interpreted objectively. The positivist theory
believes that the knowledge obtained through the research is trustworthy and can be interpreted.
Together positivism and the interpretivism forms the epistemology.
The secondary data obtained from the research will be interpreted using interpretivism to
analyze the kind of CSR policies followed by the company and to understand the subject. The
secondary data will then be utilized to develop the right questionnaire. The knowledge of the
theories and models is quite essential as this will lay the foundation of the questionnaire that will
be developed. Interpretivism will also be utilized while analyzing the results obtained from the
questionnaires. The positivist attitude adopted in the research will provide the much needed
objectivity in the research and will help in the conducting of the research without any kind of
biases. Saunders in one of his books indicated that such a mix is highly desirable in a research as
it mixes objectivity with the power of interpretationInvalid source specified..
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACHES
The research literature mentions two major approaches to any kind of research. These
two approaches are: inductive and deductive approach to the research. Both of these approaches
can be utilized depending upon the research question and the research philosophy. The
deductive research is more focused towards the verification of an existing theory or hypothesis.
On the other hand, inductive approach is conducted with the aim of development of the
hypothesis.
This research is an inductive research as the main purpose is to understand how the
employee perception of CSR can affect the company’s performance. In the inductive approach
method, the research is conducted first and then the theories are formed as per the results and
analyses done in the due course of the research.Invalid source specified.. Research questions
developed in Chapter 1 will be answered first and based on these answers the final hypothesis
will be developed.
3.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY
The right kind of research strategy ensures that the questions and objectives of the
research are answered within the available time and the resourcesInvalid source specified.. Thus
it is highly important to use the right research strategy. The research can be an experiment, a case
study, a survey, grounded theory research, archival research or an ethnographic research.
Keeping all the strategies in mind, this research can be called the mix of the survey and the case
study. The answers to the questions and the response of the participants is collected based on the
research questionnaire/survey. However, the research is limited only to one company. The results
of that one company are extrapolated to form the general theory. Therefore the research can be
rightly called the mix of the case study and survey.
3.5 RESEARCH CHOICE
The research and its analysis can be conducted in mainly three different manners:
Qualitative
Quantitative
Mixed
Quantitative analysis uses the mathematical operations to develop the information from
the data obtained during the research whereas the qualitative analysis is more focused on what,
how and why of the research. Mixed methods use both the qualitative and quantitative
techniques to carry forward the research.
The current research will use the mixed methods to analyze the research data obtained.
Qualitative analysis is necessary to understand the kind of CSR activities followed by the
company, while the quantitative analysis will focus on the analysis of the results obtained
through the questionnaire. Invalid source specified..
3.6 TIME HORIZONS
There are mainly two kinds of researches with respect to the time horizon: the
longitudinal research and the cross-sectional research. The longitudinal research is carried over a
period of time and involves collection of the data many times with at least twice being the
necessityInvalid source specified.. That was neither required nor possible in case of the current
research because of the subject and the time/resources available for the research. Thus the
research can be called cross-sectional in nature where the participants are asked to fill the survey
only once, and the process is not expected to be repeated to get the results of the research.
3.7 RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION METHODS
The next step in the research is to decide how the data is collected for the research so as
to allow the right method to collect the data. There are mainly two ways to collect the data.
Secondary data is the data that is not same as the data collected for the objective of the research,
but has been collected for some other purpose or researchInvalid source specified.. On the other
hand, primary data is the original data that is collected for the sole purpose of the research. The
collection of primary data takes a lot of time and commitment on the part of the researcher.
There are many ways to collect the primary data:
Interview: In interview method, each of the respondent is individually asked
questions loosely based on the questionnaire. The best part about the interview is
that it allows the interviewer to observe the physical response of the respondents
as well. Further follow-up questions can be asked in case of the interview to know
about any particular topic. But the biggest concern with this method is that it is
time-consuming in nature. Interviewing each respondents can take a lot of time.
Also many of the respondents are not comfortable talking directly about their
views. That’s why the interview method is not selected.
Focus group: Focus group involves bringing together the group of respondents
and letting them discuss about the topic among themselves. The researcher or the
facilitator draws a list of the key issues that needs to be discussed, and the
respondents discuss these issues among themselves. This helps in bringing out the
new and different views associated with the research. However, this research is
based in an office environment. It would not have been possible to bring all the
employees at a single platform at the same time. Also, bringing together the
senior management and junior management for knowing their issues might not
have provided an independent platform to them. That’s the reason this method has
not been selected.
Observation: This method observing the response of the respondents by observing
their physical and emotional behavior and interaction with each other. This
method is not suitable for the current research and hence is not selected.
Survey: The survey involves distribution of a questionnaire among the
respondents through different means. The questionnaire includes the questions
associated with the research topic, structured in such a way to answer the research
questions. The questionnaire method has an advantage that the respondents need
not directly interact with the researcher, and hence their answers are likely to be
unbiased. Also, the questionnaire can be administered to a large group without
any issues of time constraints for the respondents as well as the researchers.
Keeping in mind all the advantages of the survey method, the same is selected for
the current research.
For this research, the researcher used both methods of data collection: primary and the secondary
methods. The primary data was collected by the researcher with the use of questionnaire for such
collection from the participants. The secondary data collection method was used to collect data
that are already on the subject matter and existing sources on the analysis of the impact of CSR
on Brand Image of GLO from journals, Google books, websites etc. In gaining access to data, the
primary data will be collected from the staff of Glo and will be administered on them during
their break time so as not to disturb their work schedule.
3.8 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN PROCESS
For the current research, the questionnaire is the most important part. The same is the
basis on which the research questions are answered. Brace has specified that the questionnaire
should be without any doubts: clear and understandable (BRACE, I., 2008).The researcher has
used Brace’s questionnaire design process for the development of the questionnaire in the right
way. Following section explains the steps followed in the development of the questionnaire in
the structured manner (BRACE, I., 2008).
3.8.1 SPECIFY THE INFORMATION NEEDED
The first step of the research questionnaire development is to specify the broad
information categories for which the data is to be collected. The questions will then be developed
based on these categories. The questionnaire was designed to collect information about the five
different sections:
a) Demographic Profile: This demographic profile takes the note about the
basic factors like age, gender, role in the company etc. so as to get the basic idea
about the respondents.
b) Concern towards employee: Employee CSR is an equally important CSR
as seen in the literature review above. These sets of questions work on the analysis of
how much of employee CSR is followed by the company.
c) Operating Environment: The third set of question focuses the operative
environment of the company. Since environmental CSR is one of the most important
and upcoming CSR, the questions in this section focuses on the operating
environment of the company and how it attributes to the environment further.
d) Community wellbeing: It was seen in literature review that the companies
work for the social well being of the community as well. This section analysis the
social CSR of the company by asking the questions about the steps taken by the
company for the welfare of the community.
e) Impact of taking CSR in competitive advantage : The literature review
clearly established that the CSR can help in giving the competitive edge to the
company. This section tests that theory of the literature review by gauging the
employees perception about the impact of the CSR on the competitive advantage to
the company.
f) Challenges for the CSR: This section focuses on what kind of challenges
are restricting the company’s CSR activities. CSR activities calls for commitment
from management and employees along with the set of the resources as well. This
section tries to understand what challenges are faced in providing CSR (KOTHARI,
C.R., 2004).
3.8.2 SPECIFY THE INTERVIEWING METHOD
The second step involves specifying how the questionnaire will be administered to the
resependdents. For the purpose, the questionnaire will be administered to the respondents
individually. The questionnaire has to be administered to the employees of the company, and
their break time will be utilized to get the answers for the questionnaire. The researcher spent
the time in the office and handed over the research questionnaire personally to most of the
employees so that the questionnaire can be filled during break time. For the senior
management, an appointment was taken either on phone or in person with a convenient time
slot to administer the questionnaire.
3.8.3 DETERMINE THE CONTENT OF INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS
The next step was to develop the questions for each of the sections selected. These
questions were selected based on the past researches. The close-ended questions were selected
for the research.
3.8.4 RESPONDERS’ UNWILLINGNESS TO ANSWER
There are times when the respondents are unwilling to answer the questions for one or the
other reason. For the purpose of the current research, the employees were assured about the
confidentiality of the information. The major rejection found in the course of research came
mostly from the top management who were either too busy or sometimes, reluctant to answer
any questions.
3.8.5 DECIDE ON THE QUESTIONS STRUCTURE
As important as selecting the question is the process of selecting the right structure for
the questions. The questions can be close-ended type, that is they allow the researcher to answer
the question in only the mentioned manner; or they can be open-ended allowing the respondents
to expand on their answers. For this purpose the questionnaire selected were close ended. Likert
Scale was selected as the answer with the choice being given from ―strongly agree‖ to ―strongly
disagree‖ on five different scales.
3.8.6 FINALIZE THE QUESTION WORDING
The next step of the research is to finalize the wordings of the questions. The wording
shall be selected in such a way that the question is clear to the respondents and there is no
ambiguity. The care is taken to select clear and simple language for the questions so as to cause
no confusion while answering.
3.8.7 ARRANGE THE QUESTIONS IN PROPER ORDER
The right arrangement of the questions helps in maintaining the interest of the
respondents and makes the questions more understandable. The research questions are arranged
in the logical manner in order to not surprise the respondents with their abruptness.
3.8.8 IDENTIFY FORM AND LAYOUT
The presentation of questionnaire is important as it is essential the questionnaire not look
too lengthy or too crammed up. The layout was selected in such a manner that the questionnaire
developed was pleasing to the eye and non-threatening in nature.
3.8.9 PILOT TESTING OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The questionnaire was selected from the past researches and thesis and was more or less
pre-tested to the same effect. However, care was taken to ensure that the questions were not
ambiguous by getting the opinions from the friends and the family.
3.9 DATA ANALYSIS PLAN
Data analysis for the current research is carried mainly using the MS-office software. The
MS-word software is utilized to present the data with the help of the graphs and pictures. The
MS-excel is used to analyze the data with its formula of averages and percentages. The data
analysis is carried out in the 2-D environment for the current project.
3.10 SAMPLING AND SAMPLE SIZE
Sampling is the process through which the definite number of population is collected in a
way that the same can represent the whole population for the research. There are mainly two
kind of sampling techniques: probability based and non-probability based.
Probability based sampling is such that each of the member of the population has
an equal chance of selection. The probability based sampling can be further
divided into following sections:
o Simple Random Sampling: This method involves numbering the whole
population and selecting random names or numbers from the population as
the sample. This method is equivalent to the selection of the chits in the
bag method where each and every person has the equal chance of
selection.
o Stratified Sampling: The stratified sampling involves distribution of the
whole population in subgroups and then selecting simple random samples
from those subgroups. This methodology is better than the simple random
sampling as it allows each of the member of the subgroup to be selected
and represented in the population.
o Systematic Random Sampling: In this method, a random starting point is
considered in the whole population. The sample population is selected in
such a case after fixed interval, that is the researcher selects every nth
subject for the sample population. This kind of method is suitable for the
homogenous population. But since the current research does not involve
homogenous population, the method is not considered.
o Cluster Random Sampling: This kind of sampling is mainly used when the
sample is distributed across the wide geographical area. The sampling is
done area wise in this case to ensure equal participation of the population
from each of the area.
Non-Probability Based Sampling Method: In this sampling method, the subjects
of the population do not have equal chance of selection. Instead they are selected
based on the different reasons like accessibility, availability, or personal judgment
of the researcher. Following are the major methods of the sampling used in terms
of non-probability sampling:
o Convenience Sampling: This involves the selection of the subject that are
most easily available and accessible. The subjects are solely selected on
the basis of their availability.
o Quota Sampling: This sampling technique tries to include the members
from all different quotas. Like stratified sampling above, the intent is to
include the samples from all the walks of the research. However, the
selection is still based in terms of the judgment of the researcher or
availability.
o Snowball Sampling: This technique is used when the sample size is
smaller. The initial samples are considered and then they are asked to
suggest further samples in the process (KOTHARI, C.R., 2004).
For the purpose of the current research, the researcher will be using ―quota sampling
method‖. Since the research is about the perception of the employees, researcher believe that it is
possible for some level of employees or some groups of the company to be more aware about the
CSR activities and its impact. Keeping this in mind, the researcher will select the sample from
different levels (junior management, middle management, senior management, top management
etc.) and will also select the samples from different departments (HR, Engg, Accounts,
Administration etc.). The non-probability based sampling will be used to ensure the sampling
based on the availability of the employees.
The researcher will be using the GLOBACOM office in Abuja Nigeria to carry out the research
work. The reason is that of the cost of moving from one branch to the other all over the nation
may be too time-consuming and costly.
Around 10% of the people from the total group strengths will be selected. This brings the
numbers to:
Junior Management: 10 numbers.
Middle Management: 7 numbers
Senior management: 3 numbers
Top Management: 2 number.
Group wise distribution will involve selection of 2-3 people from each of the group. There are in
total 6 groups in the company: Engg, Customer handling, marketing, HR, administrative
department and accounts.
Thus total number of respondents selected for the current case are: 10+7+3+2+(3x6)= 40
number.
3.11 ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES:
The biggest problem in getting the questionnaire filled is that the sample population
might be busy. In order to ease the accessibility issue, the researcher had taken official
permission for carrying out the research in the company premises. Also, sufficient time was
allocated for the research so as to allow the employees to finish their work first. Most of the
questionnaires were filled up in the break time. In case of the employees and senior people who
were too busy, prior appointments in phone and person were taken.
3.12 ETHICAL ISSUES
A research does not only have to be strong in terms of methodology but it also has to be
morally rightInvalid source specified.. To ensure the moral soundness of the research,
confidentiality was promised to the participants. The reasons for the research were clearly
communicated to the participants along with the assurance that the research will not be disclosed.
No monetary or non-monetary incentive was offered in exchange of the research.
3.13 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The biggest limitation of the study is that it is limited to one particular branch only. There
is no qualitative analysis involved in the research, and hence, the researcher feels that this might
not be the viewpoint with regards to the whole company, but might be a cluster viewpoint. Apart
from this, researcher did not find any major limitation associated with the study.
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS
This chapter analyzes the information obtained during the course of the research and presents the
summary of the result by correlating them with the research objectives and the literature review
conducted above. The idea behind the chapter is to present the raw data obtained in the readable
form and analyze the same with respect to the objectives. For the purpose, each section of the
questionnaire is considered here for analysis. Each section is analyzed individually as per the
division in the questionnaire.
4.1. PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
Attempt were made during the sampling itself to ensure that all the levels of management can
participate in the survey. The results indicate a healthy balance of the proper mix of the different
level of management employees selected for the research purpose.
Figure 4: Graph indicating the management mix used as respondents
Junior Management
Middle management
Senior Management
Top Management
4.2. CONCERN TOWARDS EMPLOYEES
The results presented a dismal picture about the concern towards employees. Most of the
employees showed the negative response to the company’s reaction towards the concern of the
employees. The following graph indicates the response of the employees towards the five of the
questions.
Figure 5: Graph showing employees' response towards the company's concern towards them
It can be clearly seen from the graph that most of the results lie towards the disagree quadrant.
The only thing the employees seem to agree on mostly is that the compensations and benefits are
paid to the employees promptly. The following is further observed from the results:
i) Around 57.5% of the employees disagree with the statement that the company is
working towards their employee motivation and job commitment. While 12.5% of
the responses were in neutral. Only 27.5% agreed towards the statement. Further on
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
StronglyAgree
Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree
Motivates the employees andpromote the commitmenttowards the job
Provides Flexible Working hours
Compensations and benefits arepromptly paid to the employees
Supports High quality work/lifebalance
Good promotion and internaladvancement policies.
analyzing the response with respect to the level in the company, following graph was
observed. It can be clearly seen from the graph that the most of the disagreement
comes from the junior and middle management. That clearly indicates that the top
management believes that they are working towards the employee motivation, but the
same is not being translated to the employee satisfaction.
Figure 6: Employees' response to company's efforts towards employee motivation and commitment
ii) In terms of provision of flexible working hours as well, a graph similar to above
emerges. Following is the graph of response if the responses are segregated in terms
of the level of management. It can be clearly seen that the lower level and middle
level employees does not consider the hours as flexible, while the top management
employees consider that the company is doing the best.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
StronglyAgree
Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree
Junior management
Middle management
Senior management
Top management
Figure 7: Employees' response to the flexible working hour
iii) The company showed favorable results in terms of the prompt payment of
compensation as around 80% of the employees agreed that the company paid prompt
payment for the benefits.
iv) The work life balance showed a dismal result. 82.5 % of the responded against the
work/life balance maintenance in the company, and these include the mix of all level
of employees.
v) The worst of the response regarding the promotion came from middle management
where 100% of the population of middle managers disagreed regarding the promotion
options in the company. Again while the top management believed in the fairness of
promotion, the lower and middle management seemed to disagree with the statement.
4.2.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS
The above results clearly indicate that there is a mismatch between the efforts of the
management and the expectations of the employees. Although the top management is of the
outlook that they are trying to provide the best for their employees, their efforts are not
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
StronglyAgree
Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree
Junior management
Middle management
Senior management
Top management
resonating with the junior and middle management employees. A strong discontent can be seen
in the employees of the company. Even the literature review conducted with respect to CSR of
the company did not bring up any kinds of efforts introduced by the company in terms of the
employee CSR.
With this study, it looks highly important that the company’s efforts need to match the
expectations of the employees for the better performance and lower turnover of employees in the
company.
As seen in the conceptual diagram, the employees’ perception play an important role in the
brand image of the company. It increases the loyalty base and adds the competitive advantage to
the company.
4.3. OPERATING ENVIRONMENT CONCERN
Operating environment provided a positive outlook in terms of the company CSR activities. The
result proved to be in favor of the company in terms of the operating environment practiced by
the company. Following figure mainly shows the response of the employees regarding different
statements in the easily readable form.
Figure 8: Employees' perception about the operating environment safety
The above graph clearly shows that the employees believe that the safety is promoted in the
workplace. The above graph also indicates a favorable perception about the community and
youth development programs. However, the maximum response towards the climate control
activities is silent or neutral in the current case. 67.5% of the employees presented the neutral as
an answer in that case. Apart form this, the response of the employees is mostly on the positive
scale in terms of the operating environment.
4.3.1. DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS
This result works in the favor of the company as it clearly indicates that the employees find the
company a safe to work in. Also, the employees believe that the company is contributing towards
the development of the youth in the country. This is exactly what the CSR studies also showed
us. The company has shown a strong interest in terms of the scholarship and grants for the young
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1 2 3 4 5
Safety is promoted inworkplace
Steps taken to reduce theimpact on the climate
Steps taken to preventworkplace hazards
Programs organized forcommunity involvement andyouth development
and promising people across the nation. However, climate remains a murky point with respect to
the employees’ perception. Although the employees did not disagree with the company’s
perceptiveness towards the climate, they did mark neutral as the answer, which shows that they
are not sure about what company is doing towards the climate. This is reflected in the literature
review conducted above as well. No points about climate emerged there, and there were even no
complaints regarding the climate for the company. This showed that the company has mainly
ignored the marketing of sustainable development among the employees as well as its customers.
The company’s operating environment is important for the improvement in its brand equity and
increasing the loyalty base of the customers. Thus the company’s operating environment adds to
the brand image of the company.
4.4. COMMUNITY WELLBEING
The community wellbeing also showed positive perception of the employees. The response
indicated that the employees are aware that the company has taken various steps for the
advancement of the communities. The only CSR activity that got mixed response from the
employees included the community policing and peace activities. Following graph clearly
indicates the perception of the employees regarding the community wellbeing based CSR
activities of the company.
Figure 9: Employees' perception towards community based CSR activities by the company
The graph clearly indicates that the response of the employees lie towards agreement. Only
disagreement lies in the case of community policing and peace building statement. Also, there is
quite a big number of neutral answers with regards to the scholarship for the needy people. The
results of these two statements were further analyzed to understand the response of different
sections of the management:
i) The agreement about scholarship for the needy student statement provided a mixed
result. While 19 of the respondents out of 40, agreed to it (i.e. 47.5%), the 50% of the
respondents expressed their neutrality. Further interesting thing to note was that this
50% wholly lied in lower management level. That is all 20 responses of neutrality
came from the lower management level. Either the lower management is unsure of
the programs for scholarship run by the company, or if they are sure, they find it too
inaccessible.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5
Scholarship for needy butgenius students.
Recreation facility for thecommunity
Steps to improve socio-economic welfare for thesocietySupports communitypolicing and peace building
Supports developmentinitiatives of the community
ii) In response to the statement of company’s involvement in community policing and
peace, 62.5% of the respondents presented their answer as agreed or strongly agreed.
25% of the respondents disagreed with the statement.
4.4.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS
In the current system, he only CSR activity the company does not seem involved is
community policing and peace to a small extent. Even the scholarships for needy students did
not get a negative response. This clearly indicates that the employees are mostly aware about
the kind of CSR activities happening in the company—whether through the news outside the
company or through their participation inside the company. Since there are answers in terms
of neutrality as well, it can be safely assumed that most of the information is from outside
news. Also, this information coincides with the literature review which highlighted the
similar CSR activities of the company.
Community well-being is highly important for a company. As seen in the conceptual
diagram, community participation plays an important role in the improvement of the brand
image of the company. It increases the brand equity, creates more opportunity, increases the
loyalty base, and in the end adds to the competitive advantage of the company.
4.5. IMPACT OF CSR ON ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Employees’ perception towards the impact of CSR in terms of the competitive advantage was
found to be quite favorable. Following is the line chart prepared for the same.
Figure 10: Line chart showing employees' reaction towards the impact of CSR activities on the competitiveness
As can be seen above for most of the statements, the answer lies in the strongly agree range
from the participants. This indicates that the employees believe that the CSR activities can
influence the overall competitiveness of the company. Further look shows that the only
disagreement found is in the overall performance of the company where around 10 numbers
of the employees expressed their disagreement about the CSR activities affecting the overall
performance of the company. The most interesting disagreement occurs in terms of the
response to the statement of ―ability to retain employees‖. While 65% of the employees
agreed that CSR activities improve the ability of the company to retain employee, around
22.5% of them expressed their disagreement to the statement. Apart from this the small
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
StronglyAgree
Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree
Branding positioning
The public goodwill towardsthe company
Overall performance of thecompany
Corporate reputation
Public interest in the activitiesof the company
Profit maximization
Ability to retain employees
disagreement was also seen in terms of the public interest in the company activities and
corporate reputation.
4.5.1 DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RESULT
The above results indicate that the employees too believe that CSR can affect the
competitiveness of the company in different ways. As our literature review suggested, many of
the employees believe that employee retaining is easier for the company with the CSR activities.
This means that the company will be able to retain employees if they employ CSR activities. The
interesting thing to note here is the contrast between the negative response to the employee
welfare and almost positive response on the retention of employees because of CSR. This
contrast suggests that even though the employees do not feel that the company is working
towards the employee welfare, they are ready to give company a chance because of the CSR
activities performed by them. They do believe retention is possible because of CSR activities.
This is an interesting finding as the same did not emerge in the literature review presented above.
The conceptual diagram shows that the brand image comprises of a lot of factors, and the results
indicate that these factors are indeed affected by the company’s CSR activities.
4.6. CHALLENGES OF CSR
The questions in this section asked the employees to explain what the challenges for the CSR
activities are and an interesting pattern of results can be seen here. Following graph indicates the
employees’ response to the five questions asked in the questionnaire. The graph clearly shows
the mixed response of the employees regarding different questions.
i) Around 47.5% of the people agreed that the lack of shareholder commitment is a
challenge to the CSR activities of the company, while 37% of the respondents
expressed their neutrality to the statement. Thus it can be deduced that the
shareholders’ commitment can be one challenge for the CSR activities of the
company.
ii) Almost everybody disagreed that the society does not recognize the company’s CSR
activities, showing that the company does have the support of the community
regarding the CSR activities.
iii) Whopping 97.5% of the employees accepted that the lack of organizational
commitment is the biggest challenge for company CSR. The interesting thing to note
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Lack of shareholders’ commitment
The company’s CSR is not
recognized by society
Lack oforganizationalcommitment
CSR has nopositive effect
on theperformance of
the company
Lack of CSRstrategy
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
that is that there is no disagreement to this statement. Only one neutral is found and
that is in terms of the lower management. Even the top management and senior
management expressed their opinion that the organization commitment is the
challenge for CSR activities of the company.
iv) CSR indeed has a positive response to the performance of the company, and that is
what was observed in earlier section of the questionnaire as well. The answer to this
statement is the echo of what we earlier noticed. Employees do believe that the CSR
activities affect the performance of the company.
v) Question about lack of CSR strategy gave the mixed results. While 47.5% of the
employees believed that lack of CSR strategy is the challenge for the company’s CSR
activities, 45% of the employees disagreed with the statement.
4.6.1 DISCUSSION ON THE RESULTS
It is clearly evident that the results coincide with the earlier sections. The result indicates that the
employees believe the biggest challenge for the CSR activities is the lack of the organizational
commitment. The commitment is lacking not only in organization but the stakeholders as well.
Together these two parts hamper the CSR activities of the company.
4.7. SUMMARY
The above section discussed the results obtained from the answers. It is generally observed that
the results of the questionnaire are in line with the literature review. This further suggests that the
company’s CSR activities can indeed positively affect the brand image. The employee
participation in the CSR activities seem to be on a lower level as many a times employees have
marked neutral as the response. Similarly, the CSR activities of the company brought out in the
literature review are well-identified with the employees as well.
Chapter 5: Conclusion
The above research along with the literature review conducted clearly indicates that the company
Globacom Limited is an active participant in the CSR activities especially in association with the
community involvement activities. The company maintains the safe workplace environment and
promotes all kinds of sports and the activities in the community. The CSR activities that the
company seems to be lacking in are the following:
Climate Issues: The active participation of the company is
not seen either in the employees’ perception or in the
literature review.
Moral and cultural community policing: The company’s
participation in scholarships and sports is noted. However,
the employee response was a bit cooler towards the
question regarding the company’s participation in moral
and cultural community policing activities.
Employee Welfare: This is the biggest issue that can be
seen in the results. Employee welfare is an important part
of the company’s CSR activities, but the same is not seen in
the results or in the publicizing reports seen during the
literature review.
The literature review and the research results both indicate that the employee CSR has a strong
impact on the brand image of the company. Thus the company needs to work harder to maintain
a strong brand image in terms of all areas indicated in the conceptual diagram. Thus the same
needs to be taken into account.
5.1.Answers to Research Questions
Following are the answers to the research questions developed in the beginning of the research.
i) What are the major CSR activities followed by Globacom Ltd?
The company follows wide and varied CSR activities. Globacom Ltd. has taken the sports as the
major objective and is promoting sports through various sponsorships and partnerships. The
company also provides the scholarship to the needy yet deserving candidates. However, the
reach of this scholarship program seems to be limited as per the results of the research.
ii) What relationship exists between the CSR and the brand image?
The research as well as the literature review indicates that there is a strong relationship between
the CSR and the brand image of the company. Even employees perceive that the CSR activities
have strong impact on the brand in terms of the profit, loyalty of the customers and overall
performance of the company.
iii) How does the employee perceive the CSR activities of the Globacom Ltd?
The employees generally have favorable perception towards the CSR activities of the company.
They acknowledge the company’s participation in community participation as well as the
operating environment. However, the employees do not perceive the company’s efforts in terms
of the employee welfare. The research indicated that while the senior management does think
that employee welfare is taken into account, the junior and middle management do not see any
benefits.
iv) How is the brand perceived by the employees of Globacom Ltd?
The employees perceive the brand as the CSR and public friendly brand. There is not indication
of employee-friendliness observed in the results.
v) Does employee perception changes with the change in the CSR activities of the
company?
Yes, the literature review as well as the research indicates that the CSR activities can increase the
loyalty and employee retention and can be a major factor in terms of controlling the turnover rate
of employees of the company.
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
Annexure-1 : Questionnaire
Attached is the questionnaire associated with CSR activities of the company. Please select the
best suitable answer from the list.
Concern Towards Employees
Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
Motivates the employees and promote the commitment towards the job
Provides Flexible Working hours
Compensations and benefits are promptly paid to the employees
Supports High quality work/life balance Good promotion and internal advancement policies.
Operating Environment Concerns
Safety is promoted in workplace
Steps taken to reduce the impact on the climate
Steps taken to prevent workplace hazards
Programs organized for community involvement and youth development
Community Wellbeing
Scholarship for needy buut genius students.
Recreation facility for the community
Steps to improve socio-economic welfare for the society
Supports community policing and peace building
Supports development initiatives of the community
Impact of CSR on achieving competitive advantage
Branding positioning
The public goodwill towards the company
Overall performance of the company
Corporate reputation
Public interest in the activities of the company
Profit maximization
Ability to retain employees
Challenges in undertaking CSR
Low profitability of the company
Lack of shareholders’ commitment
The company’s CSR is not recognized by society
Lack of organizational commitment CSR has no positive effect on the performance of the company
Lack of CSR strategy
Annexure-2: Results to the questionnaire in tabular form
Concern Towards Employees
Strongly
Agree Agre
e Neutr
al Disagre
e
Strongly
Disagree
Motivates the employees and promote the commitment towards the job 2 10 5 23
Provides Flexible Working hours 2 8 27 3
Compensations and benefits are promptly paid to the employees 13 19 1 6 1
Supports High quality work/life balance 6 1 23 10
Good promotion and internal advancement policies. 3 8 4 21 4
Operating Environment Concerns
Safety is promoted in workplace 17 13 7 3
Steps taken to reduce the impact on the climate 11 27 2
Steps taken to prevent workplace hazards 5 19 14 2
Programs organized for community involvement and youth development 9 14 10 7
Community Wellbeing
Scholarship for needy but genius students. 19 20 1
Recreation facility for the community 10 28 2
Steps to improve socio-economic welfare for the society 29 10 1
Supports community policing and peace building 10 15 4 10
Supports development initiatives of the community 6 28 4 2
Impact of CSR on achieving competitive advantage
Branding positioning 32 7 1
The public goodwill towards the company 28 6 6
Overall performance of the company 10 19 1 10
Corporate reputation 31 7 2
Public interest in the activities of the company 27 7 3 3
Profit maximization 33 4 3
Ability to retain employees 17 9 5 9
Challenges in undertaking CSR
Low profitability of the company 1 4 1 20 14
Lack of shareholders’ commitment 13 6 15 6
The company’s CSR is not recognized by society 6 1 33
Lack of organizational commitment 14 25 1 CSR has no positive effect on the performance of the company 1 10 1 28
Lack of CSR strategy 19 3 17 1
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