Saudi Commerical Banks’ Corporate Social Responsibility

Introduction

Corporate social responsibility refers to the commitment towards changing the living standards of communities through discretionary business practices to enhance such improvements. It essentially encompasses the philanthropic model in a voluntary commitment (Baker, 2004). In other words, corporate social responsibility entails the social, economic and environmental considerations linked in business operations and the entire decision making processes. A lot of collaboration is required to support sustainable development to counter the challenges related to environmental and societal development. This has the impact of building trust in the society, hence enabling the stakeholders to handle potential risks in their ventures in an effective way (Kotler & Lee, 2005). In recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased the awareness of corporate social responsibility tremendously, giving it a broad understanding. Arguably, the move by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to include corporate social responsibility has been attributed to the external influence across the region. Many organizations have witnessed considerable benefits of using corporate social responsibility since there is a commendable improvement in consumer trust and improved financial performance.

Conducting research in corporate social responsibility is vital in order to establish the approach and perception of commercial banks on corporate social responsibility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Mallin, 2009). Corporate social responsibility is fostered by the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia (NCB). The National Commercial Bank is the most known and the first commercial bank to be set up in Saudi Arabia. Ever since the year 2006, the bank has been applying the principles of corporate governance. The bank, in Collaboration with YouGov Siraj, has continuously strengthened its dedication towards creating awareness and understanding of corporate social responsibility. The bank has been at the forefront in support of social responsibility not only in Saudi Arabia but also across the region. The commercial banks in Saudi Arabia have used other stakeholders, such as the government and the private sector, to enhance speedy awareness. The study will seek to highlight the levels of awareness and the benefits brought about by the involvement of Saudi Arabia commercial banks in ensuring that other organizations understand social responsibility (Baker, 2004).

Research objectives

General objective

The research aims at examining the role of commercial banks in promoting corporate social responsibility in Saudi Arabia.

Specific objectives

1. The research aims at evaluating the benefits of corporate responsibility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. The research will seek to indicate the main challenges faced by banks in creating awareness and understanding of corporate responsibility.
3. The research will identify the perceptions of Saudi Arabia’s commercial bank’s workers towards corporate social responsibility.
4. The study aims at providing sufficient information on strategies to be used in achieving corporate social responsibility.

Research questions

1. What are the perceptions of Saudi Arabia’s commercial bank’s workers towards corporate social responsibility?
2. What are the key challenges faced by Saudi Arabia commercial banks in creating awareness and understanding of corporate responsibility?
3. What are the benefits of corporate social responsibility in Saudi Arabia?
4. What is the role of commercial banks in promoting corporate Social responsibility in Saudi Arabia?

Methodology

This study will mainly use descriptive approach whereby theoretical dimensions will be employed. The theoretical dimensions will mainly be used to show the impact of the strategies used by commercial banks in Saudi Arabia to spread awareness of social responsibility. Previous studies will also be put into consideration. Field method, through the administering of questionnaires, will be beneficial in data collection so as to answer the study questions and test the assumptions.

Reference List

Baker, M 2004, Corporate social responsibility- What does it mean? Web.

Kotler, P & Lee, N 2005, corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley.

Mallin, C 2009, Corporate social responsibility, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.