200
A. B. M. Assunção et al.
6 Discussion
Generally, for just over half of the participants in this study, there is a strong relationship between socially responsible action and investment in social and environmental
projects. By analyzing the context of the company, it can be assumed that the visibility achieved by advertising linked to public selections of projects can contribute
to such perception of CSR as investment in social responsibility projects.
A significant portion of the participants associated social responsibility to development of projects with neighboring communities or other communities directly
impacted by the company’s operations. An alignment between this kind of understanding to what is said on the company’s social responsibility policy can be seen
wherein the latter specifically prioritizes the process of community actions within
the company’s surroundings. This makes social investment one of the ways to work
with local communities. The workers’ understanding suggests that social investment
in neighboring communities would be the most widespread way to ensure social
responsibility in this operations unit, including mentions to a specific social project
by five of the 26 interviewed workers that agree that investment on social projects
expresses CSR.
There was also a perception that the company’s social responsibility is related
to investment in cultural or sporting projects. Although this is not a position of
the company which, in its balance sheet, counts investments in cultural and sports
sponsorships separately from CSR projects this distinction does not seem to be
considered as important according to the workers’ perception. Moreover, it seems to
be the effect that the perception of investment in social and environmental projects, as
well as cultural and sporting ones, have caused in an operations unit in the Amazon,
which should be related to initiatives aimed at Amazonian communities or that act
within that region, as well as the promotion of regional customs and culture.
The share of participants who related social responsibility to economic aspects
(8%) was considered small, according to the CSR literature. In the mentions found,
the notion that a socially responsible company must be able to meet its financial
commitments without becoming indebted and generate social benefits in terms of jobs
and taxes can be observed. A better evaluation of such social representation would
require interviews to relate these perceptions with the evaluation of the company’s
economic performance.
None of the participants who mentioned economic aspects in their definition of a
socially responsible company made any mention of investment in social projects;
however, there was within this group of respondents some mention of the term
sustainability. Just as the notion of investment in projects may seem like an extra
expense, or unrelated to the company’s business, among these workers, being profitable and financially responsible was acknowledged as important for the continuity
of the company’s operations.
Mentions of external CSR aspects which implies the relationship with external
stakeholders, in particular local communities, third sector organizations and investors
were more frequent than internal aspects aimed at human resources management,
A. B. M. Assunção et al.
6 Discussion
Generally, for just over half of the participants in this study, there is a strong relationship between socially responsible action and investment in social and environmental
projects. By analyzing the context of the company, it can be assumed that the visibility achieved by advertising linked to public selections of projects can contribute
to such perception of CSR as investment in social responsibility projects.
A significant portion of the participants associated social responsibility to development of projects with neighboring communities or other communities directly
impacted by the company’s operations. An alignment between this kind of understanding to what is said on the company’s social responsibility policy can be seen
wherein the latter specifically prioritizes the process of community actions within
the company’s surroundings. This makes social investment one of the ways to work
with local communities. The workers’ understanding suggests that social investment
in neighboring communities would be the most widespread way to ensure social
responsibility in this operations unit, including mentions to a specific social project
by five of the 26 interviewed workers that agree that investment on social projects
expresses CSR.
There was also a perception that the company’s social responsibility is related
to investment in cultural or sporting projects. Although this is not a position of
the company which, in its balance sheet, counts investments in cultural and sports
sponsorships separately from CSR projects this distinction does not seem to be
considered as important according to the workers’ perception. Moreover, it seems to
be the effect that the perception of investment in social and environmental projects, as
well as cultural and sporting ones, have caused in an operations unit in the Amazon,
which should be related to initiatives aimed at Amazonian communities or that act
within that region, as well as the promotion of regional customs and culture.
The share of participants who related social responsibility to economic aspects
(8%) was considered small, according to the CSR literature. In the mentions found,
the notion that a socially responsible company must be able to meet its financial
commitments without becoming indebted and generate social benefits in terms of jobs
and taxes can be observed. A better evaluation of such social representation would
require interviews to relate these perceptions with the evaluation of the company’s
economic performance.
None of the participants who mentioned economic aspects in their definition of a
socially responsible company made any mention of investment in social projects;
however, there was within this group of respondents some mention of the term
sustainability. Just as the notion of investment in projects may seem like an extra
expense, or unrelated to the company’s business, among these workers, being profitable and financially responsible was acknowledged as important for the continuity
of the company’s operations.
Mentions of external CSR aspects which implies the relationship with external
stakeholders, in particular local communities, third sector organizations and investors
were more frequent than internal aspects aimed at human resources management,