Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Dr. Richard Schuttler

Abstract

As social problems, such as environmental pollution persist, the need to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) to enhance societal well-being becomes important. However, little is known about how corporate leaders implement CSR. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to identify and report the lived experiences of corporate managers relevant to CSR implementation. This study was guided by ecological systems theory, the Porter hypothesis, the Maslow hierarchy of needs theory, and the Harrod-Domar growth model, which justify the importance of societal well-being to business profitability and growth. The research question regarding the lived experiences of corporate managers of CSR implementation aligns with the research problem. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used to identify and report lived experiences of corporate leaders to illuminate understanding of CSR implementation worthy of emulation. Open-ended questions were used in semi structured interviews of purposefully selected managers, based on their lived experiences relevant to CSR implementation, of manufacturing corporations in Charlotte, North Carolina. Van Kaam's phenomenological analysis as explained by Moustakas was used to analyze data. Findings revealed that corporate leaders implemented CSR by donating and volunteering to support health care, nature preservation, education, and poverty reduction. Participants also responded that they supported recycling and use of alternative sources of energy to improve the health and safety of employees and society. The understanding gained from participants' responses can positively affect social change, as participants assessed that CSR implementation resulted in societal well-being.

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