The article begins by exploring the different approaches to CSR between domestic businesses and subsidiaries of large multinational corporations within Costa Rica. The attempt to initiate CSR in Costa Rican businesses is viewed in the context of the pending Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) legislation and the effect it is anticipated to have on smaller businesses. After examining efforts made by the domestic business community, the article examines current practices of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by two multinational companies (MNCs) in the technology sector operating in Costa Rica and examines both aspects of what they are currently doing in the interests of CSR and whether those actions are appropriate for both their goals as a private enterprise and for the well-being of the country for which they are intended. Looking specifically at Microsoft, Oracle, and Intel, the study then goes on to examine the incentives behind CSR and whether those goals are best met by the current practices. It also discusses the scalability of CSR via the origins of the programs currently being conducted by MNCs operating in Costa Rica, and how those practices can be emulated by corporate entities of varying sizes and resources. Lastly, it looks at the need for both operational integration and specificity in CSR in order for the practice to function as intended; the integration of socially and environmentally sound business and production practices, and specificity of local solutions to address particular areas of concern based on the actual needs of a given location rather than a one-size-fits-all blanket approach mandated from a head office in another country. Ultimately, CSR is growing as a practice and becoming increasingly effective, but is still in the early stages both as a concept and a methodology, and needs to develop in scalability and diversification to reach its full potential.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Cohen, Stephen D; Multinational Corporations and Foreign Direct Investment; Oxford University Press: New York, NY; 2007
La Coalicióon Costarricense de Iniciativas de Desarrollo/The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency, CINDE (CINDE); http://www.cinde.org/esp-cinde.shtml
Engardio, Peter; “Beyond the Green Corporation“; Business Week; The McGraw-Hill Companies; January 29, 2007
Ford, Robert and McLaughlin, Frank; “Perceptions of Socially Responsible Activities and Attitudes: A Comparison of Business School Deans and Corporate Chief Executives”; The Academy of Management Journal; Vol. 27, No.3; September 1984
Ignatius, David; “Corporate Green”; The Washington Post; May 11, 2005
Logan, David; “Corporate Citizenship in the Global Age”; The Corporate Citizenship Company; The Royal Society; London, UK; 1998
Maloni, Michael and Brown, Michael; “Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain”; Journal of Business Ethics: Springer; 2006
Margolis, Joshua D. and Walsh, James P.; “Misery Loves Companies: Rethinking Social Initiatives by Business”; Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 8, No.2; June 2003
Minesterio de Ambiente y Energía de Costa Rica/Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica (MINAE); http://www.minae.go.cr/mn/despacho ministerial.htm Programa para la Excelencia; Calificaciones de Categoría 6, Cámara de Industrias de Costa Rica, 2006
Singh, Anupama, Kundu, Sudarshana, and Foster, William; “Corporate Social Responsibility Through the Supply Chain”; The World Bank Institute and Columbia University; May 11, 2005
Vogel, David; The Market for Virtue; Brookings Institution Press: Washington DC; 2005
Williams, Dean; “Weaving Ethics into Corporate Culture”; Communication World; Vol.19 No.4; 2002.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development, “Meeting Changing Expectations: Corporate Social Responsibility” Geneva, Switzerland: WBCSD, 1998.
Castillo, Martha; Executive Director; Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica; Interview conducted on June 2, 2006
D'Amato, Richard; former Director of Corporate Philanthropy, America Online, Inc; Interview conducted on June 8, 2007
Díaz Sánchez, Luisa; Assessor of Competitiveness and the Environment, Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica; Interview conducted on July 20, 2006
Hilton, Paul; Director of Institutional and SRI Marketing, The Calvert Group; Interview conducted on July 19, 2006
Leiva, Patricia; Director of Public Relations, Microsoft Costa Rica; Interview conducted on August 14, 2006
Stangis, David; Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility; Intel Corporation; Interview conducted on August 21, 2006
Wissel, Deborah; Manager of Business Development; Innovest; Interview conducted on July 19, 2006
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hogan, E. (2009). Costa Rica. In: Idowu, S.O., Filho, W.L. (eds) Global Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68815-0_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68815-0_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-68812-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-68815-0
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsEconomics and Finance (R0)