CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF SAFARICOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, KENYA
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF SAFARICOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, KENYA
Kennedy Chege Ndugu - Department of Business Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Jeremiah Koori - Department of Accounting and Finance, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Lobby groups including environmental conservationists have also pilled pressure to most firms to ensure they behave ethically as they operate within their environments. The issue of corporate social responsibility has gained attention among scholars because organizations today are not only motivated to pursue profit objective but also ensuring that they give back to the community. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of corporate social responsibility practices on the performance of Safaricom PLC, Kenya. The study focused on CRS practices with specific emphasis on how they influence corporate performance. The theories of this study was Social Contract Theory. This study used descriptive research design to provide description of the population. Descriptive survey design was used and both qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed. Therefore the design was sufficient in data collection, classification, analysis and interpretation. The population comprised of employees of Safaricom. The data was coded then a multiple regression analysis carried out. This study will be used as reference point for other scholars who are studying related topic. The study will also be used by corporate management team of other firms that carry out corporate social responsibility to formulate of proper CSR practices that promotes performance of firms. The research would establish that health infrastructure development, provision of education, environmental awareness and employee focus CSR programs had a positive and significant relationship with performance of Safaricom. The study concludes further that the firm faced a range of problems implementing the CSR programs like costs, capacity, legislation and lack of direct benefit but was still running the programs The study concluded that implementation of the CSR programs helped in enhancing corporate reputation, improving relations with suppliers, institutions, donors and community, to strengthen the sense of employees, increased operational efficiency, helped in acquisition of commercial benefits and identification of reputational risks at the firm. The study recommends that Safaricom should ensure that it engages with the public when coming up with environmental CSR programs, consider those that affect a large number of people, focus both internally and externally to ensure their clients are involved and feel the impact of the benefits.
