CSR : the role of stakeholder dialogue in achieving peaceful coexistence between host communities and multinational gold mining companies in Ghana

• Main Author: Nartey, Stanford
• Other Authors: Harness, David R.; Cook, Joe
• Published: University of Hull 2014
• Subjects: 658; Business
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.659487

Gold mining has the potential for doing great good, and also causing environmental, socio-cultural and economic harm. This has increasingly become the focus of CSR orientated research. When conducted in a developing country context, it is argued that multinational mining companies’ (MNMCs) CSR policies should take account of the views of a range of stakeholders, including the host communities affected by their operations. This thesis presents the findings of a study conducted in Ghana based on ethnographic case study interviews with communities and other stakeholders. The study examined the causes of conflict between host communities and the mining companies, and the role of dialogue in trying to achieve peaceful coexistence. The study found both historic and continuing conflicts related to compensation, employment, alternative livelihood, relocation/resettlement, infrastructure development and environmental management. The findings suggest that lack of government policy, power imbalance, the narrow scope of dialogue processes and lack of understanding of host community culture are among the factors that impede meaningful dialogue. Consequently, negative CSR experience limits current and future willingness of the host communities to engage in dialogue with the mining companies. This is significant in that dialogue is considered to be a means whereby meaningful CSR can be developed, and a vital aspect of stakeholder theory. This questions the relevance of imposing western centric CSR concepts, and instead calls for a community centric approach to be developed based on listening to the often unheard voices. In this the thesis adds to the growing call for the re-orientation of CSR from the firm centric perspective. Research to better understand how the existing landscape can be evolved to support the development of peaceful co-existence between host communities and mining companies, forms a logical extension to the current study.