Title: Social burden, social venture or social responsibility? A reflection on CSR in China and CSR strategy suggestions for multinational companies in China

Authors: Mantian Wang, Rongming Ren, Guiyi Hu, Hongyong Lu, Ilan Alon

Addresses: Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 535, Fa Hua Zhen Road, Shanghai 200052, China. ' Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 535, Fa Hua Zhen Road, Shanghai 200052, China. ' Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 535, Fa Hua Zhen Road, Shanghai 200052, China. ' Sunday Consulting Co., Suite 1702 Bldg #1 Huicui Garden, Lane 737 Caoxi Road, N. Shanghai 200030, China. ' International Business and the China Centre, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789, USA

Abstract: Thirty years into its reform and opening, the People|s Republic of China (referred to as China) has become aware of many international practises, including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Yet for Chinese enterprises, CSR seems similar to the heavy social burdens of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which played a role in the failure of most SOEs. Although laws were promulgated to free the SOEs from their |social burdens|, the new township enterprises set a different example. Some of the latter even profited from their |social ventures|. A comparison of the two sheds light on how multinational companies can best tailor their CSR strategies to the Chinese situation.

Keywords: emerging markets; CSR; corporate social responsibility; SOE; state-owned enterprises; TVE; township and village enterprises; MNCs; multinational corporations; multinationals; strategic CSR; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2011.042996

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 2011 Vol.3 No.4, pp.339 - 353

Published online: 17 Apr 2015 *

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