A study on the implementation of corporate Social responsibility in Thermal Power Company.

Abstract

The study examines the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of a thermal power company located in the West Bengal region of India. Through use of both primary and secondary data in a mixed study paradigm, a total of 46 employees were surveyed in order to learn about trends within the organization, CSR investments and implementation methods. The study found that the company had taken significant steps in recent years to fulfill its commitment to CSR, with 67.39% of respondents reporting that 1-2% of annual revenues were spent on CSR. The findings identified direct financial support to communities, or public donations, as the most prevalent implementation method (43.47%). While community needs were the leading driver of CSR site selection (43%), current socio-environmental issues influenced selection (33%) as well. The study suggests that CSR practices in the power sector are starting to move away from rigid, compliance-based yet weakly operationalized CSR practices and schemes, to being more community-centered. The study contributes to CSR literature by detailing the sectoral specificity of power companies in India for CSR practices, which may be important to managers, as they make CSR implementation decisions according to societal needs and organizational goals.