CSR in Afghanistan: a global CSR agenda in areas of limited statehood

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of CSR in Afghanistan as a novel context in the South-Asian CSR debate. Design/methodology/approach – The findings of the paper are based on case studies of four corporations in the Afghan mobile telecommunications industry. Multiple sources of qualitative data are coded according to the analytical framework of the paper to generate the findings. Findings – The findings highlight that the Afghan national setting can be conceptualised as an “area of limited statehood” indicating the weak national institutional setting, which enables space for manoeuvring for non-state actors to play a pivotal role in business-society relations. The paper highlights that the CSR practices are driven by the multi-level organisational field that through a unique blend of global coercive, mimetic and normative pressures lead to convergence around explicit CSR themes. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on CSR practices that are explicitly stated and do not include informal and/or implicit business-society practices in such contexts. Originality/value – This paper combines the literature on areas of limited statehood and the neo-institutional theory to explain the emergence of CSR the Afghan mobile telecommunications industry. The paper advocates for a shift from a national setting focus to a multi-level institutional field lens in providing contextualised explanation of the emergence of CSR in developing countries.