۱- Introduction

۲- Literature review

۳- Research question and purpose of the study

۴- Research methodology

۵- Data analysis

۶- Findings, interpretation and discussion

۷- Conclusion

References

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the perception of the bankers towards an integrated approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in a strategic way of achieving sustainable growth of the banking sector. The paper additionally provides insights into different CSR initiatives and their implementation process in the context of scheduled commercial banks (SCB) of India. Design/methodology/approach – The study is exploratory and endorses the qualitative approach of primary research methodology by adopting a non-random stratified sampling method. The localist approach of the face-to-face interview has been applied to collect the data from 26 elite class respondents from 13 SCBs. The interview method was semi-structured and open-ended. The conformity, trustworthiness, credibility, transferability, dependability test of the study have ensured the quality of the data.
Findings – The study reveals that the bankers perceive CSR as a moral obligation for the benefit of the society, beyond the regular banking operations. Further, the study comprehends that the CSR initiatives play a vital role in establishing the bank’s image, brand and reputation, as well as, building a strong bond of trust among the employees and the bank management. Besides, CSR activities facilitate to cultivate a better culture by improvising in the quality of customer service for achieving competitive advantages.
Research limitations/implications – The findings of the study represent a significant contribution to CSR theory from the interface of banking and society. Significantly, the results confirm that CSR initiatives play a vital role in building trust and minimise the gap between the employees and the management of the bank. The banks can increase its acceptance in the society and achieve competitive advantage by integrating CSR objectives with the business objectives to strengthen the corporate personality and brand.
Practical implications – The study will help practitioners to develop the social identity of their firm to achieve competitive advantages in long-run. The bankers can channelise their limited resources while planning, designing and the implementation of different CSR activities with the overall goal of the bank in a cost-effective way. The study is confined only to public and private SCBs and limited to the geographical scope of one state in India. Therefore, further exploration may be carried out by considering other banks and geographic regions in India and different cross-cultural settings.
Originality/value – The originality of the study lies with the in-depth analysis and quality check of the data. The results can contribute significant value to the qualitative method of conducting research.

Introduction

In recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability have been considered as the twin idea of global corporate consciousness. While both these ideas have followed parallel evolutionary paths, they have converged to convey a unified sense of a company’s long-term success and its existence (Vaaland et al., 2008; Chabowski et al., 2011; Vallaster et al., 2012; Hammer and Pivo, 2017). Since the past few decades, CSR has rapidly evolved in most of the emerging countries. Pioneering companies have voluntarily made strategic approaches to CSR, devoting unprecedented efforts and resources in creating value for both the company and the society (Porter and Kramer, 2011; Lodsgard and Aagaard, 2017). In light of the value creation, CSR initiatives are well incorporated into the national and international banking community (Yeomans, 2005; Karim et al., 2016). The corresponding progress in Indian banking sector, CSR has been predominantly aimed at addressing the financial exclusion problem by providing financial services to the unbanked or untapped banking areas of the country (Narwal, 2007; Bihari and Pradhan, 2011). Additionally, CSR in banking sector emphasises the socio-economic development of the country by focussing on the activities, namely, poverty eradication, health and medical care, rural development, self-employment and financial literacy training, infrastructure development, education and environmental protection (Dhingra and Mittal, 2014; HadfieldHill, 2014). The benefits of CSR are well documented in the literature.