Political CSR: Studies from an African SME Perspective

We engage a discussion of political CSR in SMEs in an African context. Based on critical observations on Western MNC CSR action in emerging economies that holds counterproductive implications for social development, political economists have argued that business profit far more than society in developing economies from CSR. In this paper we argue that local SMEs CSR work have strong influence in developing economies, that also includes counterproductive influence for social development. Based on empirical findings from African countries, we conceptualize how CSR in African SMEs differ from their European counterparts with their strong focus on retention of employees and support of extended households. We discuss how the African SME propensity to prioritize employees and extended households in CSR work in a paternalistic manner has productive as well as counterproductive implications for social development in local African communities. Our findings extend political CSR research by directing attention to how the corporate influence in developing economies does not only emerge from MNCs but is also established and retained by SMEs CSR work.