Factors Influencing Sustainability Of Corporate Social Responsibility Projects By Manufacturing Companies In Kenya: A Case Of Bata Shoe Company In Limuru, Kiambu County

Abstract

Sustainable development is a complex concept conventionally defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable growth encompasses a business model that creates value consistent with the long-term preservation and enhancement of financial, environmental and social capital. Being socially responsible means not only fulfilling legal expectations, but also going beyond compliance and investing more into human capital, the environment and the relations with stakeholders. Most Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects and programs in Kenya are aimed at ensuring improved social well-being of citizens, especially the less fortunate in the society. Even though various studies have been carried out on CSR projects in Kenya, very few have purposed to establish deterministic variables influencing sustainability of these projects, which more often collapse once they are left at the mercies of the society. This study therefore sought to address this gap by establishing the influence of organizational leadership, fund availability, organizational policies, and community participation on the sustainability of CSR projects commissioned by Bata Shoe Company and its outlets in Kenya. Descriptive research design was employed on a target population of 182 respondents comprising of senior managers from Bata Shoe Company, project supervisors, Kiambu County government officials, and beneficiaries who were mainly Kiambu County residents. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select a sample size of 72 respondents, calculated using the Krejcie & Morgan (1970) formula. Data obtained was analized using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program. Primary data for the study was collected from Bata company managers, CSR project management team, Kiambu County officials, as well as Kiambu County residents, with 69 questionnaires duly filled and returned which represents a response rate of 95.83%. The study revealed that there is a positive relationship between project funding and the sustainability of Bata funded CSR projects in Kiambu County, as well as organizational leadership and involvement of the local community. This means that any reduction in project funding negatively affects the sustainability of the projects within the County. The study therefore concluded that timely and adequate provision of project funds, constant and continuous community involvement, as well as ensuring accountability and transparency in the leadership of CSR project funds is the sure way of ensuring sustainability of completed Bata Funded CSR projects in Kiambu County. The study recommends that Bata company management should ensure the project funding is timely and adequate to avoid gaps and delays in implementation. It also recommends that iall iproject imanagers iand ithe iBata icompany imanagement iteam should actively iinvolve ithe ilocal icommunity iin ithe iimplementation iprocess ias iwell ias isustainability iprograms. iFrequent iaudit ireports iand iperiodicals ion ithe iproject iprogress iand iexpenditures ishould ibe imade ipublic ito iimprove iaccountability iand itransparency.