Responsible Business in Africa: Chinese Business Leaders’ Perspectives on Performance and Enhancement Opportunities

This study explores the understanding and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) amongst senior executives of Chinese companies operating in Africa, and in particular the standards which they draw on for guidance, including legal frameworks, company policies and voluntary standards.

It is based on interviews and discussions with senior executives in 22 Chinese enterprises with operations in Africa. These included both large and small enterprises, state-owned and private companies. The process was not designed to evaluate performance but rather to understand and profile the views of these business leaders who are shaping the future course of Chinese business in Africa and elsewhere.

The research was commissioned by The Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Vice Presidency of the World Bank Group as part of a broader effort to assess the role of corporate standards and practices as a tool for enhanced environmental, social and ethical governance in developing countries. Financial support was provided by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom. The research was carried out as a collaboration between DRC-ERI and AccountAbility. The views in this paper are solely those of its authors, and should not be attributed to PREM or any other part of the World Bank Group, or to DFID.