Corporate Commitments and Human Capabilities : A Thematic Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Tanzanian Sisal Industry using Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach.

Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important aspect of a company’s image and has provided profitability by appealing to consumers. The Tanzanian sisal value chain provides an interesting case where newly established companies have the ability to incorporate CSR in their everyday work and create a sustainable environment where social and environmental aspects of responsibility are undertaken. The following thesis investigates corporate social responsibility within the Tanzanian sisal industry through a thematic analysis inspired by Martha Nussbaum's (2011) capabilities approach. The ten central capabilities presented by Nussbaum have been applied as codes on the available CSR work of the largest actors within the Tanzanian sisal industry. The aim of the research is to investigate what CSR strategies exist in the industry and to what extent the CSR work uplifts the livelihoods they affect. The theoretical framework will provide a guideline of one established theory that the available CSR work can be analysed. The analysis will, therefore, highlight potential pitfalls as well as good initiatives and policies in relation to Nussbaum's capabilities approach. The research concluded that two corporations out of the five largest in the industry have available CSR strategies: SFI Tanzania and the MeTL Group. The policies and projects within these strategies contain some of the predetermined codes. However, neither sufficiently addresses the ten central capabilities. After analysing the policies, it can be concluded that many of the ten central capabilities are not fulfilled in the investigated companies' CSR work.