Chapter 8
Participants’ Recommendations
for O&G Social Investment
In Chapter 7, an in-depth analysis of the IFC Performance Standards and the WBG
“Community-Driven Development” Principles indicated that working on, working
around, working for and working with discourses of social investment are operating
in the guidelines’ statements, descriptions, principles and recommendations. The
chapter analysis indicated that participants’ non-linear and complex discussion of
social investment is related to the guideline documents. Additionally, the conflicting
use of the social investment discourses found in the guideline documents and participants’ discussions of social investment reflect the intricate nature of O&G social
investment and the complex ground where O&G experts work. Such findings suggest
that participants would also adopt a non-linear and apparently conflicting discursive
pattern when talking about their recommendations for social investment practices.
In this light, the current chapter aims to analyse participants’ recommendations for
social investment practices.
In this chapter, I address research questions four and five: what are the experts’
recommendations for future O&G social investment, and, which discourses are
evident in participants’ recommendations for future O&G social investment? In order
to answer these questions, this chapter addresses participants’ recommendations
for O&G social investment. Participants’ recommendations were discussed during
the research interviews and indicated their understandings of what should change
in social investment practices. The participants, (including O&G and government
experts) highlighted four main practices of O&G social investment that should receive
particular attention. These practices included: (1) considering the purpose of social
investment, (2) engaging with the community, (3) engaging with the government and
(4) engaging with the company. The participants made specific recommendations in
relation to each practice.
This chapter is divided into four main parts that analyse participants’ recommendations for each practice of the social investment noted above. When analysing
participants’ recommendations, I also focus on the discursive tensions and contradictions inherent in the interview discussions. In doing so, I aim to identify both the
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Costa Camões Rabello, Understandings of Social Investment in the Oil and Gas Sector,
Approaches to Global Sustainability, Markets, and Governance,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6556-8_8
109
Participants’ Recommendations
for O&G Social Investment
In Chapter 7, an in-depth analysis of the IFC Performance Standards and the WBG
“Community-Driven Development” Principles indicated that working on, working
around, working for and working with discourses of social investment are operating
in the guidelines’ statements, descriptions, principles and recommendations. The
chapter analysis indicated that participants’ non-linear and complex discussion of
social investment is related to the guideline documents. Additionally, the conflicting
use of the social investment discourses found in the guideline documents and participants’ discussions of social investment reflect the intricate nature of O&G social
investment and the complex ground where O&G experts work. Such findings suggest
that participants would also adopt a non-linear and apparently conflicting discursive
pattern when talking about their recommendations for social investment practices.
In this light, the current chapter aims to analyse participants’ recommendations for
social investment practices.
In this chapter, I address research questions four and five: what are the experts’
recommendations for future O&G social investment, and, which discourses are
evident in participants’ recommendations for future O&G social investment? In order
to answer these questions, this chapter addresses participants’ recommendations
for O&G social investment. Participants’ recommendations were discussed during
the research interviews and indicated their understandings of what should change
in social investment practices. The participants, (including O&G and government
experts) highlighted four main practices of O&G social investment that should receive
particular attention. These practices included: (1) considering the purpose of social
investment, (2) engaging with the community, (3) engaging with the government and
(4) engaging with the company. The participants made specific recommendations in
relation to each practice.
This chapter is divided into four main parts that analyse participants’ recommendations for each practice of the social investment noted above. When analysing
participants’ recommendations, I also focus on the discursive tensions and contradictions inherent in the interview discussions. In doing so, I aim to identify both the
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Costa Camões Rabello, Understandings of Social Investment in the Oil and Gas Sector,
Approaches to Global Sustainability, Markets, and Governance,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6556-8_8
109