SR Reporting in Developing Nations Oil Industry - Research Proposal Example

SR rероrting in Developing Nations Oil Industry Name: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Problem Statement 3 1.3 Research Objective 5 1.3.1 Establish External CSR Motivation Factors In Developing Nations. 5 1.3.2 Role of CSR in the Developing Nations Oil Industry 5 1.3.3 CSR Best Practices 6 1.4 Research Questions 6 1.4.1 Main Question 6 1.4.2 Sub Questions 6 1.5 Methodology 7 1.6 Introductory Literature Contribution 8 1.7 Study Contributions 9 References 11 CHAPTER 1 1.1 Introduction The chapter develops an introductory outline of the research. In this regard, the chapter develops a problem statement that forms the justification basis for the research. Once a justification has been offered, the chapter lists the key research objects that serve as its milestone evaluations. The set objectives serve as the research roadmap to achieving the desired deliverables. Further, the chapter, based on the reviewed objectives develops the key research question as well as sub question to facilitate objectives establishment and attainment. Moreover, the chapter outlines the research project methodology, as well as the potential and expected study contributions on the society. Finally, the chapter lists the research paper outline. 1.2 Problem Statement As Mostovicz, Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2011) stated, the deepwater’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico remains a fresh occurrence to date to all stakeholders in the oil industry. The overall short term and long term implications on shore fishing caused by the BP oil spillage raises concern on the role of oil industry organisations to the society. Increased globalizations as well as technology developments have revolutionized business operations. As such, business operations have expanded and increased on the global platform. This has resulted to increased production needs. Consequently, organisations have scaled up their operations and production schedules to cover the ever increasing market demand and gaps. Therefore, this implies that such operations require increased energy supply. The global main energy supply remains oil, especially mined in North Africa as well as in the Middle East regions. Increased demand for such oil products has in the recent past led to increased venture into these markets by multinational oil companies. Their main activities in these regions incorporate mining of the naturally occurring crude oil, purifying it and latter exporting it to the deserving markets in Europe, Australia and Asia (“European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” 2012). However, unlike the developed nations, that have stringent legal regulation for their operations, the developing nations lack such legal frameworks. Therefore, organisations operating in these markets have in the past resulted to environmental pollution and degradation practices in the course of their operations. The oil industry has in the recent past experienced challenges in reporting with regard to societal and environmental implications of oil mining. As such, this has increased the requirement for organisations to engage in CSR activities to enhance societal benefits as well as environmental conservation, thus making it an imperative management aspect. This research paper seeks to establish the appropriate external factors that the developing nations as well as the international community can apply in order to drive and motivate organisations to establishing CSR practices and programs in their operations. As such, the study seeks to evaluate the currently deficient external factors in the developing nation’s oil markets and mining regions. The fact that the oil industry, despite its economic contribution t the developing nations, result to increased environmental and health implications makes this research study viable. 1.3 Research Objective The research study has developed a series of objectives that serves as its key deliverables in the long run. The development and establishment of appropriate study objectives forms a mind and road map through which the research study is conducted. As such, the deliverables offer the researcher an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive research and avoid irrelevant and inappropriate details that do not develop and enhance the attainment of the developed research objectives. Therefore, objectives development enhances focus and concentration of specific research areas rather than generic research studies conduction, focusing on the general topical aspects. Based on this review, the research developed a series of objectives and deliverables 1.3.1 Establish External CSR Motivation Factors In Developing Nations. Under this objective, the research evaluates the various external motivational factors that influence the application of CSR programs by oil industries in the developing nations. As such, it evaluates the implications on application extents, nature and forms of CSR programs executed (Garcia-Rodriguez, Garcia-Rodriguez, Castilla-Gutierrez & Major, 2013). The establishment of this objective enhances a comparison of motivation factors in the developing and developed nations, to record, similarities, differences and deficiencies in the systems. 1.3.2 Role of CSR in the Developing Nations Oil Industry The research evaluates the impacts of CSR practices application on the developing nation’s oil industries. As such, the study evaluates the approach and nature through which the application of these practices enhances efficiency and increased performances to the developing nations. In this regard, the study, besides conducting an economic analysis of the process application, evaluates on the socio and environmental implications of such an approach. 1.3.3 CSR Best Practices The research seeks to deliver on appropriate CSR practices recommendations. In this regard, through an evaluation of the motivation factors, as well as the role of CSR on efficiency enhancement, the research study develops a benchmark for CSR in developing nation’s oil industry. As such, it offers best alternatives for external influence exertion in these nations to promote CSR practices in their respective oil industries. 1.4 Research Questions The research study, in order to sufficiently meet and achieve the above developed objectives developed a series of research questions to guide the researcher through. In this case, it developed one main question as well as three other sub-questions breaking down the main question into researchable research contents. 1.4.1 Main Question What is the influence of specific macroeconomic external factors on corporate social responsibility reporting of oil industry in developing countries? 1.4.2 Sub Questions In order to sufficiently answer and address the main question, the research study formulated the following sub questions: 1. What is the relationship between specific macroeconomic country factors and the adopted CSR reporting structures in developing nation’s oil industry? 2. What literature supports that there exist a relationship between nation’s macro economic factors and the adopted corporate social responsibility reporting structures n developing nation’s oil industries? 3. Which are the ideal macro economic conditions that support the development of ideal and sufficient corporate social responsibility reporting structures in the developing nation’s oil industry? 1.5 Methodology The research study is an exploratory study seeking to evaluate and compare CSR programs in developing nation’s oil industries. Developing and applying primary data collection approach would disadvantage the research study through a range factors such as high research costs as well as limitation of time to collect enough data. Therefore, in cognizant with this challenge, the research adopts the secondary data collection tools. Bailey and Handu (2013) argued on the role of secondary data collection tools in enhancing research surveys success. In this case, the study established that the use of secondary data collection approach reduces on the overall survey costs as well as reducing on the overall time taken to collect data. Moreover, the use of secondary data sources enables surveys acquire increased data sources and variability. Therefore, this study applies the secondary data collection approach and the use of case studies. In this case, the study selects a sample 5 oil industry organisations operating in the developing nations. As such, the study applies the case studies in the market. The case study evaluation forms a basis through which organizational CSR programs are evaluated. As such, the organisations approaches and practices are evaluated against the respective developing nations in the market. For instance, the case studies evaluation determine if organisations apply unique or standard CSR reporting structures across developing nations in regard to their macroeconomic factors such as political structures, economic settings, social structures as well as existing legal frameworks. Through the application of this approach, the study develops a critical review of organizational CSR reporting structures. In this case, it not only evaluates organizational CSR structures across developing nation markets, but also evaluates similarities between different organisations CSR reporting structures in the same developing nation oil industry. The adoption of this approach enables the research develop an appropriate benchmark on which influencing factors, their relationship on operational efficiency and best practice in the industry are evaluated. Search Data sources: EBSCOhost, Proquest and Emerald Search Documents: CSR journals, Oil industry professional journals and magazines, and Organizational CSR reports. 1.6 Introductory Literature Contribution CSR is described as an approach through which organisations focus on more than just developing profits and increasing rates of returns in the short run. Instead, though CSR organisations seek to establish mutual benefits and gains with the host communities for increased reputation, acceptance as well as market relationships. The OECD economy nations have developed appropriate CSR programs initiative for the oil industry sector. The BP oil spillage accident on the Mexican gulf revolutionized oil industry administration in the USA (Fowler, 2012). For instance, the nation increased its overall regulatory regulations on operational standards as well as initial venture permit access requirements and the development of emission ceilings. Therefore, this analysis evidences that developed nations political and legal frameworks influence the nature and approach for the oil industry stakeholders in the developed nations. Nevertheless, as Spence (2013) argued, the concept of CSR practices has expanded to include non environmental concern issues. In this regard, the CSR practices are expended to go beyond environmental conservation to incorporate societal development aspects and practices. For instance, the organisations are required to support community based projects such as education to increase labour viability as well as overall community ignorance levels reduction. Therefore, organisations in the developing nations, especially in the oil industry that yields increased profit gains are required to support community and societal well being initiatives. An empirical study developed by Skjerseth, Tangen, Swanson, Christiansen, Moe and Lunde (2004) argued on the concept of the paradox of plenty. In this regard, the paradox argues that increased earnings and revenues from extractive industries in developing nations undermine their political, economic and social growth potentials through increased human rights conflicts, corruption levels rise as well as failing democracies. In order to develop an accurate analysis on the acceptance nature of this paradox, the study evaluated the case studies of 4 major oil industry players operations in the developing nation’s oil industry and their subsequent CSR programs and reporting structures. Among the evaluated Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, and Total FinaElf organisations, the study evaluated both their level as well as the degree of commitment. In its analysis, the study established that the organisations apply different CSR practices, indicating lack of conformance to common external influencing factors. 1.7 Study Contributions The study outcome and recommendations have an increased contributory role to both operation organisations on CSR practices as well as on the developing nations on how to improve the CSR reporting patterns in their oil industries. Among the key contributions of the research include Establish appropriate external macro economic factors developing nations can implement to improve their oil industry CSR reporting structures Recommend the appropriate degree and level of commitment for both the developing nations and organisations to enhance quality CSR reporting in the oil industry Recommend best organizational practices to facilitate developed CSR programs by oil industry stakeholders in developing nations Overall CSR and oil industry operations quality improvements. 1.8 Paper Outline Chapter 1: Research paper introduction, problem statement research objectives and questions, methodology as well as contributions of the study analysis Chapter 2: The chapter focuses on literature review on CSR practices in oil industry organisations. As such, the chapter has headings such as (1) Origin of CSR (2) Advantages of CSR on developing nations oil industry and (3) Macro economic factors influencing CSR Chapter 3: The chapter lists a detailed analysis of the adopted secondary data collection case study research approach. In this regard, the chapter has headings such as (1) Research design (2) Data collection and sampling (3) Data analysis tools Chapter 4: This chapter offers a critical analysis of the established data. Therefore, the chapter has headings such as (1) Political factors influencing CSR (2) Economic factors established (3) Social factors influencing CSR in developing nations among others. Chapter 5: This chapter offers a summary conclusion of the developed analysis as well as offering a recommendations list for improvement as part of its contribution to literature. Thus, the chapter has three key headings namely (1) conclusion, (2) Recommendations (3) Further Future Studies. References Bailey, S., & Handu, D. (2013). Introduction to epidemiologic research methods in public health practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. (2012). Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship: 20-21 September, 2012. Fowler, T., (September 20, 2012). After Spill: Gulf Oil Drilling Rebounds. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from < http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390443890304578008573749823206> Garcia-Rodriguez, F. J., Garcia-Rodriguez, J. L., Castilla-Gutierrez, C. and Major, S. A. (2013), Corporate Social Responsibility of Oil Companies in Developing Countries: From Altruism to Business Strategy. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Mgmt, 20: 371–384 Mostovicz, E. I., Kakabadse, A., & Kakabadse, N. K. (2011). The four pillars of corporate responsibility: Ethics, leadership, personal responsibility and trust. Corporate Governance, 11(4), 489-500. Skjerseth, J. B., Tangen, K., Swanson, P., Christiansen, A. C., Moe, A., & Lunde, L. (2004). Limits to Corporate Social Responsibility: A comparative study of four major oil companies. The Fridtjof Nansen Institute. Spence, D. B. (2013). Responsible Shale Gas Production: Moral Outrage vs. Cool Analysis. Fordham Envtl. Law Rev., 25, 141-191. Read More