Abstract:
The need for companies to achieve different outcomes in terms of their vision and goals has resulted in the rise of different drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Due to the differences in these desired outcomes and in some instances lack of sufficient knowledge, companies operate at different maturity levels of CSR. This research was based on the premise that identifying the relationship between CSR drivers and the CSR maturity levels would contribute towards helping to achieve the highest level of maturity while identifying how companies can better understand the concept of CSR as a whole.
An exploratory study was undertaken between July 2015 to October 2015 and ten interviews were conducted with company directors, executives or senior managers responsible for sustainability / CSR. Research findings indicate strong, moderate and weak links between CSR drivers and CSR maturity level and these could be used to guide companies that need to move to next level of maturity. Factors such as education and mentoring of companies were identified to be essential for companies in order for them to be driven to a higher CSR maturity level. Matching allocation of funds between the drivers and the desired longterm achievements was found to be essential for achievement of the highest level of maturity level.
