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Responsibility and Informal CSR in Formal Cameroonian SMEs

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Abstract

In this article, we explore the implicit conceptions of business ethics and social responsibility of owners−managers of small and medium enterprises (SME) in Cameroon. While using a hermeneutical approach, our main objective is to clarify how Sub-Saharan African business people themselves understand and define corporate responsibility in their particular economic and political environment. Our aim is not to deliver an empirical study of business practices and management behavior in SMEs. We wish to discuss which responsibilities they themselves judge to be relevant and which can legitimately be attributed to them by third parties. Secondly, we relate our findings to other empirical work on SMEs, in Africa and elsewhere. It is shown that there are similarities with the way in which SMEs in Europe interpret their responsibility, but also striking differences. Further, we relate our findings to some theoretical controversies around corporate social responsibility (CSR) in SMEs, to questions about evaluation tools for CSR in the SME context, and to the role of CSR with respect to poverty alleviation in developing countries.

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Notes

  1. The authors are grateful to Guy Djongoué, Eugène Mambingo Sango, Kimberley Tomasson and Patrick E. Murphy for their help and their useful remarks. The usual disclaimer applies.

  2. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of Cameroon was estimated at US$ 2,128 (2007) (HDR 2009), under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births) is 131, the prevalence of undernourishment in total population is 23 %, life expectancy at birth is 51.7 years (UNDP 2010). Henceforth in our article, ‘Africa’ refers to Sub-Saharan Africa.

  3. Cf. Moore and Spence (2006) and the references there.

  4. Cf. Aguilera et al. (2007).

  5. Concerning SMEs in India, see Srinivasan (2010).

  6. 250 employees is standard in Europe, but, of course, to some extent arbitrary.

  7. Amaeshi et al. (2006) behaved in an identical way.

  8. Pauwels and Mattyssen (2004) offer a strategy to increase validation for multiple case study research which allows some degree of replication.

  9. This approach—the foundations of which go back, among others—to the works of Gadamer (1960), Ricoeur (1969), and Habermas (1988).

  10. For an overview of traditional African philosophy and its influences on post-colonial African thinking see Eze (1997, 1998). An analysis of the complex relation between authentic African thinking and Western Philosophy is in Eboussi-Boulaga (1977).

  11. CEC 2005, see also Spence (2007) for a discussion of the EU texts.

  12. Meanwhile, the whole project has been abandoned. The website is no longer accessible. Jenkins (2006) also refers to the project.

  13. http://www.reseau-alliances.org.

  14. A first one concerns “translation.” One could expect that this should not be necessary since Cameroon is mainly a francophone country. But unfortunately, this does not imply that a French questionnaire can be used as such.

  15. See Rieth et al. (2007) for an overview, in 2007, of the UN Global Compact in Sub-Saharan Africa.

  16. Cf.Rossouw (2002, p. 41) on “survival morality” when companies and people focus on mere survival.

  17. Voir Le messager, 30 April 2008, from http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories/0,22590,@,illegalite-pres-de-90-de-camerounais-au-noir.html.

  18. See the following newspaper articles relating the scandals at the CNPS: http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories/0,14675,@,chasse-aux-baleines-a-la-cnps-le-directeur-des-affaires-communes-ecroue-a-konden.html; http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories/0,25318,@,fraude-la-cnps-proclame-ses-faux-diplomes.html; http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories/0,14581,@,affaire-engo-et-cnps-la-cour-d-appel-confirme-son-premier-jugement.html; http://www.cameroon-info.net/stories/0,12233,@,pierre-desire-engo-condamne-a-10-ans-de-prison.html.

  19. R9, a CEO of a forestry company told us he has paid a huge amount of money to a person who lost his arm in a labor accident.

  20. Amaeshi et al. (2006) mentions that responsibility towards customers is absent of the CSR picture in Nigeria. We have a slightly different observation. There seems to be in general much distrust in commercial relations. For example, all refuse delays in payment, and most do not even commitments without a partial payment of the production. But nevertheless, most people stressed the importance of a reputation and long-term relations as a characteristic of honest business. However, responsibility for clients seemed, unlike responsibility towards employees, only considered from the perspective of business interest.

  21. To recall Carroll (1991) argues that for companies obligations are ranked as follows: economic obligations first economic, then legal constraints. Ethical obligations come in the third place, followed by philanthropic duties.

  22. Golli and Yahiaoui (2009) come to similar conclusions on the basis of a Tunisian survey.

  23. Up-to-date information about ISO 26000 on www.iso.org. See Perera (2008) about some difficulties to apply ISO 26000 in SMEs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EDHEC Business School, 24, avenue Gustave Delory, CS 50411, 59057, Roubaix Cedex 1, France

    Geert Demuijnck

  2. Université catholique d’Afrique Centrale, B.P. 11628, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Hubert Ngnodjom

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  1. Geert Demuijnck
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Correspondence to Geert Demuijnck.

Appendix

Appendix

List of Interview Questions.

1. Your business: number of employees? Evolution? Sector? Clients? Geographic distribution of sales (export or local market)? etc.

2. The company and moral values.

    Some people say that in business, “anything goes” (all practices are allowed). Do you agree? What are the limits?

    Do you know any companies that exceed those limits? In what sense?

    Does your company include objectives that are not only economic? If yes, which ones?

3. Do you think that companies take into account their impact on the environment? Should they? Why (not)?

4. What is, according to you, a responsible manager (or a responsible company)?

    Is your company excellent in all respects?

5. Do you belong to a professional association? Do they discuss with colleagues about your responsibility?

6. In your opinion, who are the “partners” of the company? Customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, unions, associations, parish, party politics, associations, traditional chiefs, …

7. How are the relations with the administration? How should they ideally be? In reality? Are there problems sometimes (with you or with others)?

8. Is it desirable, in your opinion, to discuss with subordinates as a manager? Why (not)?

9. In terms of hiring employees, are you aware of forms of “discrimination” on the basis of gender or ethnicity (tribe)? Has this issue already been discussed in your firm?

10. In your firm, have you taken steps to prevent accidents?

11. Are there any measures concerning health (alcoholism, HIV)?

12. Does it happen in your firm that difficulties of employee’s family life are taken into account?

13. Do you train students in internship? Are they sometimes hired later?

14. Does your company propose training for employees?

15. How does the company communicate with employees?

16. What does this mean to you: exemplarity in terms of compensation (pay, wages)?

17. Do you take into account the safety of your customers? What do you do in case of defects found by customers (is there a procedure for customer claims)? Do you assess the customer satisfaction and quality of service?

18. Who controls the accounting? Are there regular audits, external audits?

19. Has your company been confronted with attempts to bribe? Do you know any other cases? How do you think you should manage that?

20. Are there any forms of sponsorship in your firm (soccer, schools, etc.)?

21. Does your company try to pollute less?

22. Relationship with suppliers: What is an exemplary relationship? Long-term partnership? Payment of invoices in time? etc.

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Demuijnck, G., Ngnodjom, H. Responsibility and Informal CSR in Formal Cameroonian SMEs. J Bus Ethics 112, 653–665 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1564-3

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