Survey on corporate social responsibility in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This survey is conducted to understand the current state of CSR development and to assess the degree of CSR practices in Srilanka. A questionnaire-based survey research was carried out and the questionnaire was posted to all the 235 listed companies under the Colombo Stock Exchange and 104 had responded. After screening for completeness and validity, 93 questionnaires were suitable for analysis, giving a response rate of 39.5%. The sample consisted of a wide array of businesses. Wholesale and retail (13), transport and logistics (11) and manufacturing (10) were the dominant trades in the sample. The median turnover was Rs. 505 million with a maximum of Rs. 21,079 million and a minimum of Rs. 62 million. In terms of years in existence, there are very young companies (age 3 years) as well as very old companies (age 100 years) with a median of 15 years. In terms of the number of employees, there were small companies (141 employees) and very big companies (23,000 employees) with a median of 380 employees. The study is descriptive and covers the following issues: CSR perceptions and expectations, driving forces and objectives in CSR activities, the major barriers hindering the development of CSR, CSR management strategies and processes within the company, relationships with and attitudes towards the major stakeholders in CSR activities, the role of the government in CSR development in Srilanka. The findings of this empirical research may be useful to researchers who work in the CSR field. For managers, the study can provide some guidance in their CSR strategic planning. For policy-makers, it helps to understand better the current state of CSR in the country and work out more effective public policies and instruments in fostering sustainable development.