Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility Practices and Firms Characteristics in Telecommunications Companies in Cameroon

Sammanfattning

This study explores Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices and the influence of firms' characteristics within the telecommunications sector in Cameroon, with a focus on MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, and CAMTEL. Using a qualitative design grounded in an interpretivist research paradigm, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with six managers and thematic analysis to examine how firms' characteristics and contextual pressures shape CSR engagement. The study is guided by stakeholder theory, Institutional Theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV), which collectively explain how stakeholder expectations, institutional pressures, and internal organizational capabilities influence CSR implementation. The findings reveal that firm characteristics significantly shape the nature, scope, and implementation of CSR practices. Firms with greater resource capacity and stronger organizational structure, such as MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon, demonstrate more formalized, strategic and proactive CSR initiatives, while CAMTEL adopts a relatively limited and informal approach. The study also shows that stakeholder pressures from customers, communities, regulators, and government institutions strongly influence CSR priorities and activities. To add, the regulatory, economic, and socio-developmental context of Cameroon plays a crucial role in determining the direction and scale of CSR initiatives, particularly in areas such as digital inclusion, infrastructure development, community support, and employee welfare. Cross-case analysis indicates that although all firms share a development-oriented approach to CSR, differences emerge in scale, strategic orientation, and implementation capacity due to variations in firms' size, resources, market position, and organizational capabilities. The study contributes to the literature on CSR and strategic management in developing- country contexts by providing context-sensitive insights into how CSR is interpreted and practiced within the telecommunications industry in Cameroon. It also offers practical implications for managers and policymakers seeking to align CSR strategies with organizational capabilities and national development priorities.