Mining, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Reputation

Abstract

We examine the corporate social responsibility (CSR) experience of the mining industry and the limitations of CSR activities. We consider the dominant ideologies that underpin these activities and then juxtapose those ideologies with academic and practitioner critiques of CSR. This is followed by a short discussion of Royal Dutch Shell’s long-standing commitment to CSR, which has resulted in marginal improvement to its corporate reputation at best. We then provide an analysis of the recent publications of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) on development partnerships. We argue that this body’s shift in emphasis from CSR to development partnerships signifies a move away from the CSR discourse of the mining industry toward an approach centred on genuine community development. In the final section, we consider the potential strengths and limitations of the development partnerships approach. To that end, we adapt Arnstein’s (1969) ‘Ladder of Citizen Participation’ to the contemporary mining industry. In so doing, we attempt to illustrate the complexities associated with participation in the development paradigm. While the ICMM appears to be tracking in a more altruistic direction through its promotion of development partnerships, we believe that a greater focus on the complexities associated with participations may add value to companies engaged in the mining industry in their future pursuits to achieve positive community development outcomes.