An exploration of developments of corporate social responsibility

This research sets out to contribute knowledge about developments and implementation of corporate social responsibility. The six papers used in the submission (thesis) bring together different perspectives of corporate social responsibility garnered from empirical investigations of corporate entities in the UK which was originally termed by scholars as CSR 1.0 model consisting of - defensive, charitable, promotional and strategic Visser (2010), Claydon (2011), Idowu and Schmidpeter (2016) and Camilleri (2017). It revolved round the following dominant paradigms - greed, philanthropy, marketing, management and responsibility. It became apparent that there was the need to use a different model of CSR to deal with social and environmental issues of the 21st century Visser (2014). That old model of CSR - CSR 1.0 was originally the strand of CSR which was perceived, propagated practiced and understood by different actors in the field of CSR in the United Kingdom – a country which is an acknowledged leader in the field worldwide Ward and Smith (2006) and elsewhere. CSR 1.0 model was noted to have failed to have any significant impact on many of the most serious global CSR challenges (Visser, 2014). Hence, the need for CSR 2.0 model which is now in vogue became urgent. The areas covered by the studies in the submission are – motivations for CSR reporting by corporate entities, practicing CSR by corporate entities in the UK, corporate secretaries contributions to corporate entities’ embedding of CSR into their strategies and operational practices, using accounting information for decision making purposes in an attempt to promote sustainable development, piecing together in a logical sequence the history of CSR in the UK and the ideological source of CSR. The sole objective of the exercise is to derive a coherent view of how CSR has journeyed through its different stages of metamorphosis in the United Kingdom up to the period of the sixth paper used in the submission (2012). This thesis therefore presents an analytical account of the research projects at different times namely 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011a, 2011b and 2012 which have culminated into the six papers that form the cornerstone of the submission. The research problem it explores is divided into six research perspectives which culminated into the six papers noted in Table 1 of Section 3 and made up of six research questions in four components. In 1987 the Brundtland Report had brought the issue of sustainable development and the consequences of our failure to operate sustainably to our consciousness. Similarly in June 1992, the Earth Summit of the UN Conference on Environment and Development had set what is often referred to as Agenda 21, which documented the United Nation’s plan for the world in the 21st century in CSR terms. At the beginning of the second millennium, the quest to put into action and demonstrate some reasonable awareness of what social responsibility is and what corporate entities and individual citizens around the world should do in terms of CSR had already been put in place around the globe. The United Nations had initiated a Millennium Summit of 189 world leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York to set the Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015. The putting in place of the MDGs 2015 brought about calls for more understanding of many of the issues surrounding CSR a number of new scholars in the thriving field of CSR had emerged. It had downed on this researcher some three years into the 21st century that a number of areas in CSR need more understanding, this heralded the commencement of his studies and journey in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility and all its related areas. What follows has chronicled six of this researcher’s studies in CSR

Responsible corporate governance in Europe

The latest European Union’s (EU) guiding policies are encouraging big businesses and state-owned organisations to provide a fair and truthful view of their respective entities’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. At present, European member states are transposing directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial reporting. The EU’s “comply or explain” approach has presented a significant step forward toward the corporations’ active engagement on corporate governance disclosure and transparency. Hence, this chapter makes specific reference to some of the corporations’ best practices as it identifies areas for improvement in corporate governance issues. It explains how three major European banks have reviewed the roles and responsibilities of corporate boards and management. In many cases, they have anticipated any regulatory, legal, contractual, social and market-driven obligations as they helped stakeholders to exercise their rights. This contribution contends that there are significant implications for financial services corporations who intend following the right path toward responsible corporate governance and ethical behaviours.peer-reviewe

Integrated Reporting. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance

Organisations are increasingly disclosing financial and non-financial performance as they are becoming more accountable and transparent to the providers of capital and other interested parties. Most of them are clearly specifying their environmental, social and governance (ESG) content, materiality and assurance mechanisms in their corporate disclosures. Very often, the organisations integrate financial, social and sustainability reporting. In this light, this chapter provides a critical review of key theoretical underpinnings that have anticipated the development of the corporations’ integrated disclosures. Afterwards, it describes the International Integrated Reporting Council’s Framework and its guiding principles. This contribution posits that there are potential tensions and challenges for those organisations who intend using the Framework. In conclusion, this chapter outlines future avenues as it identifies knowledge gaps in the realms of integrated reporting.peer-reviewe

A cost-benefit analysis of ISO26000 : the standard on social responsibility

The International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 26000 on social responsibility supports organizations of all types and sizes in their responsibilities toward society and the environment. The standard's core subjects respect the rule of law as well as international norms on human rights and non-discrimination. ISO 26000 recommends that organizations ought to follow its principles on accountability, transparency, ethical behaviors and fair operating practices that safeguard organizations and their stakeholders' interests. Hence, this chapter presents a critical analysis on ISO 26000. This is followed by a discussion on the trade-offs between the costs and benefits for those organizations who intend following this social responsibility standard’s principles. Afterwards, this contribution posits that the stated purpose of ISO’s non-certified standard on social responsibility is to provide ‘guidance’ to its users as it is not an enforceable instrument. In conclusion, the author has put forward his implications for practitioners and policy makers. This chapter also suggested some future research avenues to academia.peer-reviewe

Corporate social responsibility in times of crisis

This contribution evaluates the United States (U.S.) government’s policies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmentally-sustainable behaviors. It looks at the establishment of particular corporate citizenship procedures and expectations. US entities, including bureaus, agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have often interpreted their own view on business ethics and stakeholder engagement, within their own regulatory context. This conceptual paper suggests that relevant policies, guidelines and communication on corporate citizenship and their disclosures can change the companies’ attitudes toward CSR, sustainability and corporate governance reporting. It has presented numerous opportunities for businesses to engage in CSR practices in order to create value for themselves and for others. In conclusion, as corporate citizenship and social responsibility policies are widely-understood, accepted and implemented by stakeholders, there will be greater convergence of laudable behaviors. This will ultimately bring positive implications for a sustainable and fair future for all.peer-reviewe

Comparative Analysis of Ecological Footprint of Urban and Rural Households in Minna Emirate of Niger State, Nigeria

Nigeria is an unsustainable country due to ecological deficit arising from the excessive utilisation of natural resources. Resources are consumed more than its bio-capacity. Lifestyle and variation in the needs of households has exert demands on the natural resources and eventually on the global environment. This research therefore aimed at estimating the Ecological Footprints of the average individual in a household in the urban and rural areas of the Minna region in Nigeria. It identifies the types of resource consumption; the impact of consumption on the EF and compare the EF of both in relation to level of sustainability. Data were collected employing primary and secondary sources for the study. A total of 400 households was selected for the study. Questionnaire administration was employed to collect the data and random sampling was employed. The data were analysed through explanatory and inferential statistics. The result of the study shows that the EF of Minna and Maikunkele were 1.10 and 0.892 gha. Households require average 0.91 and 0.74 planets to sustain their living standard and generate 6.2 and 4.3 tonnes of CO2 annually. There are 9 and 6 factors that influence EF. It is recommended that the lifestyle of the household in Minna region has to be modified to reduce pressure environmental resources and emission of GHG for sustainable development

Corporate governance practices and comprehensive income

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of corporate governance practices on firms’ financial performance, as measured by comprehensive income (CI). Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 237 firms from the Standards & Poor (S&P) 500 index during the years 2004-2009, multivariate statistical analyses are conducted to confirm the authors’ main hypothesis. Findings The results indicate that having high levels of corporate governance culture has a positive impact on a measure of firms’ financial performance, namely, CI. Furthermore, they indicate a positive correlation between a higher percentage of external directors and financial performance, and a negative relationship between number of board meetings and financial performance. Originality/value The main contribution of this research is that good corporate governance strategies deliver superior financial performance for businesses in terms of CI. This serves as a method of value creation, which is the ultimate goal of a business. In addition to the use of CI as an indicator of financial performance, a unique measure of corporate governance level is tested

Knowledge, attitude and willingness to accept Caesarean Section among women in Ogbomoso , southwest Nigeria

Introduction: Caesarean section (CS) is a common procedure in obstetrics and has contributed immensely to improving maternal and foetal outcome; there are still concerns about the knowledge, attitude and willingness to accept the procedure among women especially those in the developing world.Objective: This study seeks to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and acceptance of women about CS in Ogbomoso. These women were more educated than most of their counterparts in South Sudan but because of the political situation we are unlikely to get similar data from South Sudan and therefore this study is of interest.Methodology: This is a descriptive study which was carried out in four health facilities. Respondents were selected using the systematic random technique with a sample interval of 2. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 16.Results: Of the 410 respondents, 63.2% of the women have a good knowledge of CS as a method of delivery. When CS was compared to vaginal delivery, 33.5% said that CS was preferable to vaginal delivery because the pain involved was much less; this view was however disagreed upon by 54.8% of the respondents. Only 75.6% of the respondents were ready to accept CS if there was a need for it.Conclusion: Mothers should be educated on the process involved in Caesarean delivery, the indication, advantages and complications in order to help them make the right informed decision.Keywords: Women knowledge, attitude, Caesarean section, Nigeri

Determinants of skilled care utilization among pregnant women residents in an urban community in Kwara State, Northcentral Nigeria

Background: Skilled attendant at delivery (SBA) is one of the key indicators used in assessing progress towards improved maternal health. This study aimed at identifying factors influencing SBA utilization in Ilorin, Nigeria.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out using multi-stage sampling technique among 400 participants in Ilorin, Northcentral Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection, and data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: SBA supervised 73.8% births. Determinants of skilled birth attendance at delivery include higher education (AOR; 10.94, 95% CI; 3.60-33.26), having only one child (AOR; 4.33, 95% CI; 1.18-15.82), having at least 4 ANC attendance (AOR; 18.84, 95% CI; 8.95-55.82) and residing near delivery sites (AOR; 11.49, 95% CI; 2.43-55.56).Conclusion: The proportion of births supervised by SBA needs improvement in Northcentral Nigeria. Full implementation of reproductive health policies will enhance skilled births in Nigeria.Keywords: Skilled birth attendants, Antenatal care, utilizatio

Design and Implementation of Auto Switch Lighting Monitoring and Control System

The havoc that the electricity can cause may be unimaginable compared with the benefits if not proper controlled, maintained, managed and used. Developed countries has setup good system of management and maintenance of electricity supply. Studies have shown that electricity supply should be properly distributed and managed with respect to the use, however, only a few of these studies were implemented in developing countries including Nigeria. Therefore, this research was aimed at the design and development of auto switch lighting monitoring and control system. The research adopted multiple concepts by making use of the development of software, and hardware configurations. The configurations combined a micro-controller (Arduino), sensor GSM module for wireless communication, battery, Real Time Clock (RTC) and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) for display purpose. By considering the time set by Real Time Clock (RTC) and from the status of (Light Dependent Resistor) LDR  sensor, the controller turns the light ON/OFF. The results showed that the photoelectric (presence) sensor turns on the light only when the presence is detected during night time and Current Sensor will sense the current value from which power consumed is calculated. It also provides the information about the faulty lamps which ease the fault detection. The research concluded by ensuring that the objectives were met. The research employed the synchronization of database created and linked with a mobile software that was further linked with a digital board. The designed software was implementation and it was able to control the auto switching, monitoring and control of the lighting system in Babcock University. It was recommended that this software should be replicated for the country