Responsible leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Luxembourg

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a link between responsible leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Luxembourg and also to determine Luxembourg’s specifics in the field of CSR. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study. In total, 64 semi-structured interviews were conducted from January to August 2017 with four culturally different samples: Luxembourgers with Luxembourgish nationality, foreigners who reside in Luxembourg, cross-borderers and the rest of the world. Findings Responses from all four samples were similar on the one hand and quite contradictory on the other. Three groups were formed: euphoric respondents who said it is the authenticity of the leader and his modelling role in lived CSR; moderate respondents; critical respondents who deny any link between responsible leadership and CSR and claim for change and innovation, accusing the high Uncertainty Avoidance Index. In their opinion, there is an urgent need for managers to learn responsible leadership and CSR. Practical implications This paper contributes to the discussion on change and innovation in the field of leadership theory with particular emphasis on responsible leadership following Michael Maccoby, on multilingual and multicultural Luxembourg in the middle of Europe following Geert Hofstede and Edgar Schein and on CSR following Thomas Maak and Nicole Pless. Originality/value This study is a combination of research on responsible leadership and CSR in Luxembourg in connection with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: high long-term orientation, high uncertainty avoidance and high collectivism (low individualism).