University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

RELATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF CSR IN RUSSIA: WHAT ROLE
FOR GOVERNAMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY AS
DRIVERS OF POLICY AND PRACTICE?
Abstract
Anna Zueva
Jenny Fairbrass
University of Bradford
School of Management
Emm Lane
Bradford University
BD9 4JL
522
Part of the current research in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is concerned with the
impact of the stakeholders on the CSR policies and practices of the firms. Some recently
published work has focused particularly on the significance of the government and civil society.
This paper contributes to this debate by exploring the role of government and civil society as
drivers for CSR in the Russian Federation via two case studies: the development of a new oil
field and plans to construct a hydro-electric dam in Siberia. We find that rather than Russian
government and civil society acting as the critical drivers, it is the pressure of meeting
international standards and codes on CSR and the desire to secure a position in international
markets that provides compelling reasons for the adopting of Russian CSR public policy and
private practice.
Key Words: CSR, relational governance, Russia, civil society, government
Introduction
Practitioner interest in the role of business in society and its relationship with
stakeholders dates back several decades. Recently, this debate about corporate social
responsibility (CSR) has been reinvigorated, reflecting the growing public disquiet
and media attention aroused by so-called ‘scandals’ concerning large business
organisations such as Enron and Parmalat in Europe and the USA during the past
decade. Concern is also manifest in the public policy discourse of governments
across all levels of governance (see for example, the UN Global Compact 2004 and
the European Union’s (EU’s) 2001, 2002 and 2006 policy papers).
Equally importantly, local, national and international civil society organisations have
been provoked into articulating policy positions on CSR. See for example, the
contributions of civil society organizations to the EU’s 2001 CSR Green Paper
consultation (Directorate General (DG) Employment & Social Affairs 2001).
Significantly, individual businesses and their collective associations too have become