Pierre El Haddad, Alexandre Anatolievich Bachkirov and Olga Grishina
This study aims to explore the commonalities and differences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions among business leaders in Oman and Lebanon, two Middle Eastern…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the commonalities and differences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions among business leaders in Oman and Lebanon, two Middle Eastern countries forming a comparative dyad with a high level of cultural variance within the Arab cluster.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that were analyzed by means of multilevel analysis.
Findings
The findings provide empirical evidence that CSR is a powerful factor in managerial decision-making in the Middle East with the national cultures of Oman and Lebanon exerting partially differing effects on CSR decision-making.
Practical implications
The study enlightens practicing managers and policymakers in terms of the salience of multiple actors’ influence on CSR decision-making processes and the responses they may receive when developing and implementing CSR initiatives in the Middle East.
Originality/value
The study proposes a seven nodal model, which captures the flow of CSR decision-making in the research contexts.