Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Responsible People pp 199–227Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Leveraging CSR to Gain MNE Legitimacy in Post-Arab Spring Morocco

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

This research examines the activities of ten MNE Moroccan subsidiaries following the Arab Spring. Through onsite subsidiary interviews and site visits, along with analysis of public and corporate documents, the research explores how the MNE subsidiaries sought local legitimacy, through institutional work. The study finds that the subsidiaries strategically used CSR to respond proactively in their host environments during a period of institutional instability. These CSR actions ranged from the informal to the formal, from engagement with local actors to the introduction of new corporate CSR standards and practices. The findings suggest that CSR as a form of institutional work is an effective response to institutional change caused by social movements, benefiting not only the MNEs themselves, but also society in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alimadadi, Siavash, Christer Forsling, Cecilia Pahlberg, and Firouze Pourmand Hilmersson. 2012. Business and Political Interactions in Emerging Markets: Experiences from China South Africa and Turkey. In Business, Society and Politics: International Business and Management, vol. 28, ed. Amjad Hadjikhani, Ulf Elg, and Pervez Ghauri, 209–230. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Avina, Jeffrey. 2013. The Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Arab Spring. Middle East Journal 67 (1): 77–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baron, David P. 1955. Business and Its Environment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bies, Robert J., Jean M. Bartunek, Timothy L. Fort, and Mayer N. Zald. 2007. Corporations as Social Change Agents: Individual, Interpersonal, Institutional and Environmental Dynamics. Academy of Management Review 32 (3): 788–793.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browning, John G. 2013. Democracy Unplugged: Social Media, Regime Change, and Governmental Response in the Arab Spring. Michigan State International Law Review 21 (1): 63–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung, Chris C., and Paul W. Beamish. 2005. The Impact of Institutional Reforms on Characteristics and Survival of Foreign Subsidiaries in Emerging Economies. Journal of Management Studies 42 (1): 35–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, Lance E., and Douglass C. North. 1971. Institutional Change and American Economic Growth. Cambridge: The University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Profile 2011—Morocco. London: The Economist Intelligence Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Profile 2012—Morocco. London: The Economist Intelligence Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gawer, Annabelle, and Nelson Phillips. 2013. Institutional Work as Logics Shift: The Case of Intel’s Transformation to Platform Leader. Organization Studies 34 (8): 1035–1071.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield, W.M. 2004. In the Name of Corporate Social Responsibility. Business Horizons 47 (1): 19–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskisson, Robert E., Lorraine Eden, Chung M. Lau, and Mike Wright. 2000. Strategy in Emerging Economies. Academy of Management Journal 43 (3): 249–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, Dima, and Ben Neville. 2011. Convergence Versus Divergence of CSR in Developing Countries: An Embedded Multi-layered Institutional Lens. Journal of Business Ethics 102 (4): 599–621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KPMG Africa. Country Profile 2012–2013—Morocco (KPMG).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, Thomas B., and Roy Suddaby. 2006. Institutions and Institutional Work. In Handbook of Organization Studies, 2nd ed., ed. Stewart R. Clegg, Cynthia Hardy, Thomas B. Lawrence, and Walter R. Nord, 215–254. London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, Thomas B., Roy Suddaby, and Bernard Leca. 2009. Institutional Work: Actors and Agency in Institutional Studies of Organizations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, Thomas B., Roy Suddaby, and Bernard Leca. 2011. Institutional Work: Refocusing Institutional Studies of Organization. Journal of Management Inquiry 20 (1): 52–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, Aidan. 2011. Why Has Morocco’s King Survived the Arab Spring? BBC News Middle East. November 24. Accessed June 12, 2018, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15856989.

  • Oliver, Christine. 1992. The Antecedents of Deinstitutionalization. Organization Studies 13 (4): 563–588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, Christine. 1997. Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Combining Institutional and Resource-Based Views. Strategic Management Journal 18 (9): 697–713.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettit, Philip. 2005. Responsibility Incorporated. Paper presented at the Kadish Center for Morality.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig, Philip M., and Jitendra V. Singh. 1991. Organizational Environments and the Multinational Enterprise. Academy of Management Review 16 (2): 340–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. Richard. 2005. Institutional Theory: Contributing to a Theoretical Research Program. In Great Minds in Management: The Process of Theory Development, ed. Ken G. Smith and Michael A. Hitt, 460–484. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seo, Myeong-Gu, and W.E. Douglas Creed. 2002. Institutional Contradictions, Praxis, and Institutional Change: A Dialectical Perspective. Academy of Management Review 27 (2): 222–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, Jagdish N. 2011. Impact of Emerging Markets on Marketing: Rethinking Existing Perspectives and Practices. Journal of Marketing 75 (4): 166–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarnovskaya, Veronika V. 2012. Activating Stakeholders: An Approach by MNCs in Emerging Markets. In Business, Society and Politics, vol. 28, ed. Amjad Hadjikhani, Ulf Elg, and Pervez Ghauri, 45–68. International Business and Management. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Welch, Catherine, and Ian Wilkinson. 2004. The Political Embeddedness of International Business Networks. International Marketing Review 21 (2): 216–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. 2012. The Challenge of Youth Inclusion in Morocco Article. May 14. Accessed June 12, 2018. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/14/challenge-of-youth-inclusion-in-morocco.

  • Yu Xie, Henry, and David J. Boggs. 2006. Corporate Branding Versus Product Branding in Emerging Markets: A Conceptual Framework. Marketing Intelligence & Planning 24 (4): 347–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Dean, and Oded Shenkar. 2002. Institutional Distance and the Multinational Enterprise. Academy of Management Review 27 (4): 608–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, Robert K. 1994. Case Study Research, 2nd ed. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, Robert K. 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Rick Molz

  2. HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Gwyneth Edwards

  3. Business Development Bank of Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Salma Msefer

Authors
  1. Rick Molz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gwyneth Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Salma Msefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rick Molz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Brighton Business School, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK

    Francisca Farache

  2. Henley Business School, University of Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK

    Georgiana Grigore

  3. Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania

    Alin Stancu

  4. Faculty of Media and Communication, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, UK

    David McQueen

Appendix 1: Interview Guide

Appendix 1: Interview Guide

  1. I.

    Information about the respondent

    • What is your position in the company?

    • How long have you been working at the company?

    • How much experience do you have working in Morocco or in another emerging market?

  2. II.

    General company information

    • Is the multinational enterprise a wholly owned subsidiary? To what extent are decision-making procedures influenced by the parent company?

    • How long has the company been operating in Morocco?

    • What are the main projects of the subsidiary in Morocco?

    • How many employees does the company have in Morocco?

    • What is the proportion of local stuff versus expatriate staff?

  3. III.

    International experience of the multinational enterprise

    • What are main obstacles, barriers, or challenges to doing business in Morocco? (Example: regulative, normative, cognitive demands)

    • How does the company manage the challenges that it encounters?

  4. IV.

    Relationships

    • What are the subsidiary’s most important relationships (ex. customers, suppliers, politicians, NGOs, other subunits, parent company)?

    • How does the company manage these relationships?

    • How does the company manage relationships with political/government units? Do they present opportunities/challenges?

    • Does the company belong to an industry, trade, or business association?

    • Do these relationships allow the company to overcome some of the obstacles to doing business mentioned above?

  5. V.

    Critical events

    • In 2011, the Arab region experienced political and economic instability due to the ‘Arab Spring’ events.

    • Did the Arab Spring have an impact on the company’s business operations in Morocco? (Examples: canceled contracts, delays, regulatory changes)

    • Did these events have an impact on how the company managed its relationships with key actors? If so, how?

  6. VI.

    Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a legitimacy tool

    • I saw on your website that you have established (x) program to assist in the development of the country. What other kinds of social activities does the company have in Morocco? Please provide examples of these programs.

    • Did the company undertake more social activities after the Arab Spring events?

  7. VII.

    Looking forward

    • How does the company view its future operations in Morocco? Are there any major concerns in terms of the social/governmental environment for doing business in Morocco?

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Molz, R., Edwards, G., Msefer, S. (2019). Leveraging CSR to Gain MNE Legitimacy in Post-Arab Spring Morocco. In: Farache, F., Grigore, G., Stancu, A., McQueen, D. (eds) Responsible People. Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10740-6_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation