Title: Corporate social responsibility in Latin America's petroleum industry: a national oil company's strategy for sustainable development

Authors: David Lertzman; Percy Garcia; Harrie Vredenburg

Addresses: International Resource Industries and Sustainability Centre, ISEEE – Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy, Business and Environment Area, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, 215 Campus Place N.W., 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada ' International Resource Industries and Sustainability Centre, ISEEE – Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy, Business and Environment Area, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, 215 Campus Place N.W., 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada ' International Resource Industries and Sustainability Centre, ISEEE – Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy, Business and Environment Area, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, 215 Campus Place N.W., 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada

Abstract: National oil companies (NOCs) now control the majority of globally proved oil reserves but formal research into their social and environmental performance is scant. In a region of the world where poverty, environmental degradation, unemployment, poor access to health care and infrastructure services are ongoing realities, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Latin America offers potential for net positive impact. We examine the particular case of a Latin American NOC's efforts to improve its social licence to operate by engaging communities as part of a broader sustainable development strategy for its last large oil field. Organisational strategic bridging is explored as a vehicle for the NOC to embark on CSR strategies in Latin America. In this emerging field, there is a place for ethically oriented business researchers to act as CSR-sustainable development practitioners going beyond the purely observational role of management academics towards application of participatory action research methods.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility; CSR; Latin America; national oil companies; sustainable development; sustainability; indigenous peoples; local people; strategic bridging; community foundation; social licence; petroleum industry; oil industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2013.052578

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2013 Vol.7 No.2, pp.185 - 208

Published online: 27 Dec 2013 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article