Corporate Social Initiatives for the Sustainable Development in the Global South: Glocal Perspective of Social Changes

Issues of social injustice and social inequality attract the attention of a large number of people and various actors (governments, international organizations, businesses, NGOs, and activists) around the world, who are capable of influencing their resolution. The primary framework for the strategic fight against social injustice is often the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which help focus on specific environmental and social challenges and develop corporate social initiatives (CSIs) to address them. Business organizations in the Global South countries are increasingly seen as key players in addressing local issues. This research was conducted using literature review methods, secondary data analysis of SDG achievements in the Global South, organizational ethnography (based on InDrive, which implements social initiatives in LATAM, Africa and Asia regions), and competitor analysis. The results of the study indicate weak legal frameworks in many Global South countries, allowing businesses to implement CSIs with fewer restrictions. CSI strategies in these countries are shaped by local cultural, political, and social contexts, which can both facilitate and limit the implementation and scaling of CSIs. Business organizations strive to implement CSIs by engaging strong institutional partners, which helps to strengthen these initiatives, promote best practices and creates potential for their institutionalization. CSIs impact various levels of the ecosystem and are often focused on achieving SDGs related to environmental protection, education, equal labor, and social and gender inequality. Given that the same people may be negatively affected by different environmental and social issues, companies are focusing on using an intersectional framework for CSIs to achieve more significant social impact and reach the largest number of vulnerable populations.