An investigation into the perceived impact of Richards Bay Minerals corporate social responsibility to the communities in the Northern region of KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been recognised as a weapon to survive in global competitive environment. This research paper evaluated the impact of Richards Bay Mineral’s (RBM) corporate social responsibility on communities in the northern region of KwaZulu-Natal. The factors that influence and those that hinders the implementation of CSR initiatives were identified. Strategies that can be applied by CSR managers at RBM in improving stakeholder engagement and communication have been suggested. A quantitative research method was applied in the study. The research sample was selected randomly, using a cluster sampling method and consisted of 250 participants required to complete a Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire we distributed to the participants and were collected after two weeks by the researcher. The data was analysed using the statistics package SPSS version 21.0, with the results presented by figures developed in Microsoft Excel and cross tabulation tables. The results of the findings identified factors that influenced CSR initiatives as lack of feedback, communication and stakeholder engagement. Commitment from senior management must be demonstrated at a local level to facilitate community engagement, feedback and monitoring, because the logic of CSR is towards seeing its impact in community socially, environmentally and economically.