International operations; equal international responsibility? : A qualitative thesis exploring the existence of CSR activities by Swedish MNCs operating in Kenya

Abstract: The topic of companies’ responsibility in society has gained a lot of traction over the years. With the recent war in Ukraine, many companies have taken a stance against the atrocities by pausing or even stopping their operations in Russia. The war has, however, not only impacted Ukraine and Russia but has led to consequences all over the world. At the same time, the world is still dealing with the consequences of Covid-19, which forced many people into extreme poverty. This includes the population of Kenya, where food prices have increased due to both the pandemic and the war, thus leaving those already vulnerable to struggle even more. This thesis aims to explore what influence the business sector can have in poverty alleviation. The focus is on Swedish multinational companies (MNCs) and their stance on corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well as their motives behind such initiatives. In addition, the authors wanted to explore if the MNCs have been able to measure and see any results from their CSR activities regarding the Kenyan society.  The thesis is a qualitative, multiple case study of five Swedish MNCs. In order to gather empirical data, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews. The data collected were then compared and analyzed together with the presented literature and theory. The analysis presented both similarities and differences between the empirical findings and previous literature. The findings do not result in one coherent or unified answer. While all cases have some form of corporate responsibility, the stance on how or to what extent they should be socially responsible varies. It can be concluded that the degree to which they are active in a market, e.g., through agents or with their own work sites, impacts their level of responsibility. The findings showed that Swedish MNCs have different motives behind their CSR activities, although the majority aimed at gaining a win-win situation where the CSR activities generated beneficial outcomes for the company itself and the society. It is important to not blindly apply western frameworks in Kenya as the cultural and institutional contexts vary widely. Moreover, the CSR framework needs to be specified in detail where industry and sector need to be taken into account in order to reach results. A global legal framework where CSR is incorporated would work as part of a solution in order to alleviate poverty.