Corporate social responsibility strategies beyond the sphere of influence: Cases from the Peruvian mining industry

Abstract

One of the main causes of social conflicts in the mining industry is the inappropriate distribution of benefits to communities within and beyond the sphere of influence of companies' mining operations. In order to prevent social conflicts, companies are implementing social programs to develop of these communities. The objective of this research is to identify the CSR strategies used by mining companies in the communities beyond their spheres of influence in Peru. With this goal in mind, a qualitative study was carried out using case study methodology and multiple sources of information. The results show that companies progress through a process from using no social responsibility strategy to using the compliance, paternalistic, and finally the multi-actor strategies, depending on the relationship they have with communities beyond the sphere of influence.