Corporate Social Responsibility Beyond Compliance: Effectiveness and Local Impact in Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar

Authors

  • Razafitahindraza Erica Feyzine Sulla Université de Toliara Author
  • Rakotoniriana Noelisoa Jean Michel Université de l’Itasy Soavinandriana Author
  • Mandimbilaza Oscar Lucien Université de Toliara Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61798/2d4s0213

Keywords:

CSR, Soft law, Implicit, Stakeholder, Atsimo-Andrefana

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar, focusing on its evolution from voluntary practices into implicit obligations driven by social, institutional, and market pressures. Using a qualitative case study approach, 15 purposively selected informants, including company representatives, local communities, government officials, and civil society actors, were engaged through semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis, with triangulation and member checking ensuring credibility. The results show that CSR initiatives focus on education, health, infrastructure, and environmental management but are often sporadic, symbolic, and limited in impact. Stakeholder engagement is mostly consultative, and institutional constraints, such as weak governance and poor coordination, hinder sustained outcomes. Nevertheless, growing social expectations and reputational pressures are prompting companies to adopt more structured CSR practices, indicating a shift from soft law toward quasi-obligatory responsibilities with potential for meaningful local development.

References

Avenali, A., Daraio, C., Di Leo, S., & Wolszczak-Derlacz, J. (2024). Heterogeneity of national accounting systems, world-class universities, and financial resources: What are the links? Journal of Informetrics, 18, 101502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2024.101502

Bhatia, A., Rana, S., & Gregor, M. (2023). The relationship between parental attachment and career aspirations in Indian female undergraduate students. Journal of Career Assessment, 31(4), 631–647. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727221129615

Bien-Aimé, W. D., Bernard, K., & Emynorane, R. H. (2025). Education and the Vali-Vazaha: Between Tradition and Educational Perspectives in the South-West Region of Madagascar. Global Education Trends, 3(2), 100–112. https://doi.org/10.61798/get.v3i2.389

Canosa, A., Graham, A., & Wilson, E. (2020). Growing up in a tourist destination: Developing an environmental sensitivity. Environmental Education Research, 26(7), 1027–1042. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1768224

Chatkaewnapanon, Y., & Kelly, J. M. (2019). Community arts as an inclusive methodology for sustainable tourism development. Journal of Place Management and Development, 12(3), 365–390. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-09-2017-0094

Chen, Z., Solberg, S., & Ye, A. (2020). Chinese youth career adaptability: Contextual influences and pathways to positive youth development. Youth & Society, 52(6), 934–959. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X18784058

Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: a review of key stakeholders’ perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16 (1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-03-2021-0025

Chisango, T., Kurevakwesu, W., Mafa, I., Tapiwa, S., & Mhizha, S. (2025). The Influence of Teaching Effectiveness and Grading of Students’ Work on How Students Evaluate Their Lecturers. International Journal of African Higher Education, 11(2), 42–57. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v11i2.18075

Cimpaye, B., Ndayizeye, J., Nizigama, I., Ntwari, I., Ngendakumana, S., and Sindayigaya, I. (2025). Perceptions of Students at the University of Burundi Regarding the Adequacy of Training to Meet the Needs of the Burundian Community. Current Urban Studies, 13, 387–402. https://doi.org/10.4236/cus.2025.134019

Cummins, P. W. (2016). Higher education reform and language for business and entrepreneurship. Transnational Corporations Review, 8(4), 265–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/19186444.2016.1265769

Daniele, V. (2021). Socio-economic inequality and regional disparities in educational achievement: The role of relative poverty. Intelligence, 84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. intell.2020.101515

De los Ríos-Carmenado, I., Sastre-Merino, S., Díaz Lantada, A., García-Martín, J., Nole, P., & Pérez-Martínez, J. E. (2021). Building world-class universities through innovative teaching governance. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 70, 101031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.101031

De Pinto, A., Seymour, G., Bryan, E., & Bhandari, P. (2020). Women’s empowerment and farmland allocations in Bangladesh: Evidence of a possible pathway to crop diversification. Climatic Change, 163(2), 1025–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02925-w

Domitrovich, C., Li, Y., Kendziora, K., & Greenberg, M. T. (2025). Impact of schoolwide support for social and emotional learning: The effect of the CASEL School Guide on organizational capacity for SEL and systemic SEL. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication, 6, 00156, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2025.100156

Edwards, D. B. Jr., DeMatthews, D., Spear, A., & Hartley, H. (2020). Community participation and empowerment in marginalised contexts: Leveraging parental involvement, adult education, and community organising through social justice leadership. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 50(6), 882–899. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2020.1717927

Emynorane, R. H., Arrive, J. T., Bien-Aimé, W. D., & Augustin, R. S. (2025a). Decentralization and Its Impact on Governance and Political Accountability in Madagascar. Journal of Administration, Governance, and Political Issues, 2(1), 97–108. https://doi.org/10.47134/jagpi.v2i1.3949

Emynorane, R. H., Arrive, J. T., Tsitaitse, T. J., Marcel, F., & Bien-Aimé, W. D. (2025b). Drivers’ Experiences of Traffic Police Corruption and the Implications for Governance Reform: Case Study of Madagascar’s National Police and Gendarmerie. Jurnal Pemerintahan Dan Politik, 10(2), 344–355. https://doi.org/10.36982/jpp.v10i2.5164

Eric, R. R., Arrive, J. T., & Emynorane, R. H. (2025). Impact of the Higher Education Training on the Labor Market Demand: Evidence from African Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Research, 2(2), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.62951/ijer.v2i2.303

Hashim, F. (2023). Bridge to the Professional World: Students’ Perceptions on Industrial Training Program’s Efficacy and Obstacles. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 8(12), p. e002638. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i12.2638

Hassan, Z., Silong, A. D., Ismail, I. A., & Asmiran, S. (2011). Developing a new generation of educational leaders for a world-class university. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 812–817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.190

Ibidunni, A. S., Nwaodu, B. Y., & Mdaka, L. E. (2023). Bringing quality management into perspective in higher education institutions’ research output: A focus on selected private universities in Nigeria. Heliyon, 9, e15443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15443

Irakli, L. (2021). Reforming the education system in Georgia: Challenges and perspectives. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 30, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2021.05.007

Khatri, P., Duggal, H. K., Lim, W. M., Thomas, A., & Shiva, A. (2024). Student well-being in higher education: Scale development and validation with implications for management education. The International Journal of Management Education, 22, 100933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.100933

Khoa, B. T., & Huynh, T. T. (2023). The effectiveness of knowledge management systems in motivation and satisfaction in higher education institutions: Data from Vietnam. Data in Brief, 49, 109454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.109454

Marques, M. C. da C. (2025). The management of higher education institutions in Portugal from a sustainable perspective. Procedia Computer Science, 256, 706–717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2025.02.170

Nice, M. L., & Joseph, M. (2023). The features of emerging adulthood and individuation: Relations and differences by college-going status, age, and living situation. Emerging Adulthood, 11(2), 271–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968221116545

O’Brien, K. M., Friedman, S. M., Tipton, L. C., & Linn, S. G. (2000). Attachment, separation, and women’s vocational development: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(3), 301. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.47.3.301

Ortega, J. L., & Aguillo, I. F. (2009). Mapping world-class universities on the web. Information Processing & Management, 45(2), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2008.10.001

Ostojic, S., Backes, J. G., Kowalski, M., & Traverso, M. (2024). Beyond Compliance: A Deep Dive into Improving Sustainability Reporting Quality with LCSA Indicators. Standards, 4(4), 196–246. https://doi.org/10.3390/standards4040011

Pauji, A. I., Rida, R., & Emynorane, R. H. (2025). The Effect Of Web-Based Academic Information System Use On Student Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study In Islamic Higher Education. JoIEM (Journal of Islamic Education Management), 6(2), 99–105. https://doi.org/10.30762/joiem.v6i2.6799

Pilonato, S., & Monfardini, P. (2020). Performance measurement systems in higher education: How levers of control reveal the ambiguities of reforms. The British Accounting Review, 52, 100908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2020.100908

Rahman, M. M., & Nasrin, S. (2024). Perceived service quality at higher education institutions: A study on the success factors of total quality management practices in Bangladesh. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 10, 100997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100997

Rottinghaus, P. J., Jenkins, N., & Jantzer, A. M. (2009). Relation of depression and affectivity to career decision status and self-efficacy in college students. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(3), 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072708330463

Saruchera, S., & Gie, L. (2025). Impact of Informal Human Resource Practices on Employee Outcomes in Private Tertiary Education Institutions. International Journal of African Higher Education, 11(2), 84–119. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v11i2.17433

Sulla, R. E. F., Ratna, H. E., & Esmati, S. (2026). The Dina as a Community Governance Mechanism for Strengthening Education in Atsimo Andrefana, Madagascar. Jurnal Strategi Pembelajaran, 2(2), 89–99. https://doi.org/10.61798/jsp.v2i2.442

Tamasiga, P., Onyeaka, H., Bakwena, M. et al. (2024). Beyond compliance: evaluating the role of environmental, social, and governance disclosures in enhancing firm value and performance. SN Business & Economy, 4, 118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-024-00714-6

Downloads

Published

30.03.2026

How to Cite

Corporate Social Responsibility Beyond Compliance: Effectiveness and Local Impact in Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar. (2026). Bisnis, Jasa Dan Keuangan, 2(1), 37-45. https://doi.org/10.61798/2d4s0213