CSR during COVID-19: exploring select organizations’ intents and activities

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-09-2020-0426
• Published date: 02 June 2021
• Date: 02 June 2021
• Pages: 1028-1042
• Subject Matter: Strategy,Corporate governance
• Author: S.M. Ramya,Rupashree Baral

CSR during COVID-19: exploring select

organizations’intents and activities

S.M. Ramya and Rupashree Baral

Abstract

Purpose –This paper aims to explore the immediate proactive corporate social responsibility (CSR)

efforts undertakenby select organizations in India in response to the coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic

and the approachthey have adopted toward it.

Design/methodology/approach –Semi-structuredinterviews were conducted with 27 seniormanagers

across top Bombay Stock Exchangeindexed organizations from the manufacturing and services sector

in India during the national COVID-19 pandemic lockdown between March and June 2020. Manual

contentanalysis and the Gioia method were usedto arrive at the insights.

Findings –Results of the analysis showcase the spirited immediate CSRmeasures undertaken by the

select organizationsin the broader interests of thecommunity at large. The study also highlightsthe need

for a paradox approachtoward CSR strategy.

Research limitations/implications –Given that the present study adopts an exploratory qualitative

researchdesign, the scope for generalization is rather limited.

Practical implications –This paper classifies COVID-19 related initiatives undertaken by selected few top

organizations in India and attempts to justify the need to opt for a paradox approach toward CSR strategy.

Originality/value –To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the first few studies to have

attempted to put forth a dialog at the intersection of COVID-19 and CSR with rich insights gained from

qualitativedata collected during India’s intenselockdown period and offering a differentperspective with

the inclusionof paradox theory into the discussion.

Keywords Corporate social responsibility, COVID-19, Pandemic, India, Organizational practices,

Paradox

Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted the functioning of the entir e world and has created an

unprecedented epoch like no other. At a global level, with man datory lockdowns of varying

degrees, people have been greatly affected by the virus onslaught as en forced stay-at-home

restrictions and social distancing measures were the order of the day. In contrast, employees

of essential care and services are true COVID-19 warriors unhesitating ly rendering yeoman

services to support the community even during testing times despite t he high risk of exposure

to the virus. Many organizations from a number of service sectors, parti cularly those offering

information technology and software services, have instructed the ir employees to work from a

safe home environment. Most manufacturing organizations, especially thos e industries dealing

with the production of essential service items, have continued their ope rations amidst the

disruption of the pandemic and precautionary restrictions imposed b y the country in which

they operate. One of the highly populous developing countries , India began its spirited battle

against the pandemic approximately a month after China notifi ed World Health Organization

(WHO) regarding an outbreak. However, despite the strict nationwide l ockdown, there was a

surge in the infection and fatality rates and as of January 2021, In dia has surpassed 10 million

cases (Manral, 2021), becoming the second most affected nation (WHO, 2021). The duration

S.M. Ramya is a Doctoral

Candidate at the

Department of

Management Studies,

Indian Institute of

Technology Madras,

Chennai, India.

Dr Rupashree Baral is an

Associate Professor at the

Department of

Management Studies,

Indian Institute of

Technology Madras,

Chennai, India.

Received 21 September 2020

Revised 21 January 2021

12 February 2021

12 March 2021

Accepted 16 March 2021

The authors gratefully

acknowledge the financial

support from Exploratory

Research Proposal (ERP) grant

from Indian Institute of

Technology, Madras.

PAGE 1028 jCORPORATE GOVERNANCE jVOL. 21 NO. 6 2021, pp. 1028-1042, ©EmeraldPublishing Limited, ISSN 1472-0701 DOI 10.1108/CG-09-2020-0426