Corporate Social Responsibility And Its Impact On Business Strategies: A Case Study Of Stat-Oil Oil Corporation

Introduction and Background

According to Alazzani and Wan-Hussin (2013), in the recent times, most of the demand for global energy is being met by using up the fossil fuel and it has been estimated that by the end of 2030 almost 50 percent of the companies will be relying on the consumption of fossil fuels as well. This means that the access to the non-renewable energy will also be declining to a great extent. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays an integral role in the international companies for most of the industries. Most of the European businesses have been increasing its activities with respect to CSR and it is being incorporated within the strategies of their businesses as well.

The Corporate Social Responsibility helps the organization in taking better decisions so that energy can be saved by managing the work in a better manner. It will help in increasing the improvements at a lower cost, which will directly result in saving of energy. The use of better strategies has helped the organizations in increasing its level of efficiency within the work place so that higher rate of production can be maintained with the help of the production line that is already present within the organization (Rauffet, Cruz and Bres 2014). However, there are many challenges that may result in decreasing the energy saving capacity for the companies. Most of the companies do not aim to invest more in the systems that will help in minimizing the use of the energies due to the economic and organizational barriers. The literature regarding the CSR activities has not influenced the organizations in improving their strategies regarding the use of CSR within their organizations. This process of research will help in analyzing the stakeholder engagement with respect to the CSR activities that are taken up within the organization (Yusuf et al. 2013).

Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is a Norwegian multinational oil and gas company that is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is a fully integrated petroleum company has its global presence in more than 30 countries. Forbes magazine in 2013 has ranked Stat-Oil Oil Corporation as the eleventh largest Oil and Gas Company by considering the profit margin and revenue of the company but regardless of the industry sector. Over 20,500 employees work for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation globally. In 2007, the collaboration of Statoil and oil and gas division of Norsk Hydro formed Stat-Oil Oil Corporation. According to the records of 2013, the Norway Government holds 67% of the total shares thereby, being the largest shareholder of the company. The remaining stock of the company belongs to the public body. The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy manages majority of the ownership of the company. Though the headquarter of Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is in Stavanger, most of the international operations of the company is executed from Fornebu (Statoil.com, 2018).

Literature Review

The Board of Directors of Stat-Oil Oil Corporation announced of changing the name of the company to Equinor on 15^th March 2018. The decision was made after taking the approval from all the shareholders of the company at the Annual General Meeting in May 15. The name Equinor suggests equi meaning equal and Nor suggesting it as a company with Norwegian origin. The Stat-Oil Oil Corporation was formed with the collaboration of three major petroleum companies Statoil, Norsk Hydro and Saga Petroleum. The company has global business relationship with countries such as Brazil, Africa, North America and Europe. Stat-Oil Oil Corporation delivers wind power to 650,000 British households being the leading operators in Norway (Statoil.com, 2018).  

Stat-Oil Oil Corporation has gained competitive advantage based on the value-based performance and culture the company has followed over the years. The company has maintained a strong commitment with transparency, continuously improving the operations and cooperation. Over the years since the establishment of the company, Stat-Oil Oil Corporation has delivered wind power, oil and gas to more than 170 million lives daily thereby, allowing them to travel, work and cook. In addition to, the company has also delivered service in the manufacturing sector such as plastics, cosmetics, medicines and asphalt. Before the products are manufactured, the refining process is conducted in Stat-Oil Oil Corporation thereby, preparing the raw materials required by the industry (Statoil.com, 2018).

Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is the second largest supplier of natural gas in the European market as well as the major crude oil seller. In addition to, the company also supplies renewable energy to the UK through their offshore wind farm Sheringham Shoal. Stat-Oil Oil Corporation has a team of ambitious and innovative people that encourages and facilitates new ideas. This has lead to 4.4 billion boe volumes of discoveries in the past four years along with 18 discoveries worldwide. The Johan Sverdrup discovery was the major discovery in the Norwegian hstory in 2011. The company has also been able to reduce 80%-90% of the climate gases in comparison tp the standard offshore development (Statoil.com, 2018).  

The main aim of the research would be as follows:

• To understand the role CSR plays in affecting the boardroom strategies of Stat-Oil Oil Corporation so that the business practices can be developed in a proper manner
• To understand the benefits of using CSR while formulating the business strategies within the boardroom of the company 

The research will be based on the following questions:

1. What role does CSR play in affecting the boardroom strategies of the company?
2. What benefit does CSR provide to the company for formulating its business strategies in the boardroom of the company?

The hypothesis for the research will be as follows:

H₀– Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) does not help in formulating the strategies of the company in a proper manner

H₁– Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps in formulating the strategies of the company in a proper manner

Research Methods

The literature will be studied in a manner that will help in identifying the role that CSR plays in helping the company to formulate the business strategies in a proper manner. It will also highlight the role that stakeholders take up so that it can help their company to be sustainable in the market as well as maintain the image of the brand.

The first chapter incorporates the introduction and the background based on which the study will progress. It also consists of the research aim and questions along with the hypothesis that has been taken up for the study.

The second chapter will deal with the secondary data that will be analyzed in a proper manner so that it can help in providing sufficient information regarding the topic that has been taken up in the process of the research. It will consist of the literature that has been published by various authors as well.

The third chapter will consist of the research methods that will be used by the researcher so that the process can be carried out in a smooth manner. The researcher will be providing justification for all the methodological tools that will be used up for this present study.

The fourth chapter will consist of the analysis and findings that will be shown by the researcher with the help of charts and graphs so that the analysis can be deciphered in a proper manner. The last chapter will consist of the concluding remarks and the objectives that have been taken up will be linked with the study to make the research process successful.

Kirat (2015) was of the opinion that there have been many definitions of CSR in the past and it deals with the responsibility taken up by the organization that creates an impact on the activities and decisions over the environment and society in a transparent manner. It also takes in to consideration the ethical behavior that needs to be developed in a sustainable manner so that the society can benefit through the expectation of the stakeholders. It also implies that the organization needs to work under the law that is present within the country so that it can uphold the norms present in the area. In a general context it can be said that CSR can be integrated within the values and culture of the company so that strategies can be formulated with an effective decision-making capacity. Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being.

Analysis and Findings

The main function of the business organizations is to increase their level of profits by supplying the goods and services in the market so that the customers are able to purchase it easily. The increase in the level of profits for the organizations mainly depend on the survival strategies that are taken up by the organization in the market and their long-term values, which also contributes to increasing the level of profits (Ngoasong 2014). Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to generate profit for the company and sustain the competitive market along with maintaining the environmental and social well-being.

It is mandatory for the operation of business to be conducted by following the rules and regulations that are laid down by the state and federal governments. The legal responsibility helps the company in operating in a fair manner, as they need to follow the codified ethics that has been laid down by the lawmakers. The economic and the legal responsibilities have to be taken up the companies in a proper manner, which makes them to be the bottom two factors in the pyramid of CSR (Lin-Hi and Muller 2013). Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being by following the legal aspects of the company.

The ethical responsibility is one of the key elements in the CSR activities, as it helps in the evolution of the business. The primary component in this is to carry out the operations under the policies and procedures laid down in the law so that it can help in making the society a better place to live. These responsibilities are the expectations that have originated in the society and help the organization to perform in an ethical manner (Wilson 2016).

The values and principles present within the organization helps in drawing the attention of the stakeholders and protect the moral rights that are present as well. It is one of the primary factors of motivation that help in the establishment and creation of the policies and procedures within the area. The ethical responsibilities need to be acknowledged along with the legal responsibilities so that it can help in requesting the stakeholders of the business to meet the best standards and work under the laws laid down (George et al. 2016).

Conclusion and Recommendations

This type of responsibility is the contribution that the organization does towards developing the society. This type of development is not related to the business under which the company is operating and is more of a charity that they do towards the society (Wanvik 2016). Most of the businesses perform this activity, as it helps them in portraying a better image of the brand towards the citizens. The activities include the participation of the companies in programs that will help in encouraging the wellbeing of the society and increase the goodwill of the company as well (Ebiringa et al. 2013).

It is a form of corporate social responsibility that is based on three pillars such as social realm, environmental influence and prosperity of the economy. It helps the businesses in paying attention towards the quality of the environment by maintain green business activities (Ahmad et al. 2016).

O’Connor and Gronewold (2013) stated that it is the profit that needs to be ensured with a shorter span of time so that the impact can be felt on the society as well. The increase in the profits of the company will help in the creation of job opportunities and increase the local wages of the area as well. Cho et al. (2014) were of the opinion that the company will be able to invest in areas that are not developed so that the process of development can take place duly. The sustainable practices of business need to analyse the economic impact with respect to the external and internal aspects. This indicates that the local economy will be strong and healthier for the business to carry on with its operations. Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being. 

The impact on the society by the organizations will help in maintain a balance between the life and work of the citizens, which will provide a significant contribution towards the profitability and performance of the company by maintaining its CSR activities (Schneider et al. 2013). The internal factors will help the company in increasing its number of employment and administering proper health and safety procedures so that training can be provided to the employees regarding the smooth manner in which work can be carried out within the organization (Romolini, Fissi and Gori 2014).

The external policies are the issues that are related to human rights such as the non-discrimination of the employees with respect to gender and race. Child labour also cannot be present within the organization and proper discipline needs to be maintained within the organization as well. The responsibility of the products also needs to be maintained so that the consumers can benefit by using the particular products manufactured by the company (Garcia-Rodriguez et al. 2013). Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being.

This factor plays an integral part in managing the business in a sustainable manner, as it helps in affecting the quality of life as well as the surroundings and standards of the business. The pollution that is caused by the business practices leads to creation of wastes by the human actions, which affects the quality of flora and fauna (Kiran, Kakakhel and Shaheen 2015). The internal factors of the organization need to reduce the level of toxicity in water by minimizing their waste products (Hiatt, Grandy and Lee 2015). This will help the companies in maintaining a better brand image within the society, which will help in increasing the outflow of products as well. The recycling initiatives will help the companies in reducing its level of wastes and toxicity in the surrounding areas, as the recycled materials can be again used within the organizational system (Bonson and Bednarova 2015). Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being.

The companies also need to analyse the impact on the environment in an external manner by pressurizing the suppliers to supply the products that will not harm the environment such as the services that needs to be provided by them needs to be of better quality and cost efficient as well so that least pollution can be created within the surrounding area (Viser and Tolhurst 2017).

Milne, Gray and Buhr (2014) stated that the main contribution of Corporate Social Responsibility is to increase the study of stakeholders so that it can help in emphasizing on the relationship between the groups of stakeholders and the overall performance of the business. The stakeholders are the group of people commonly who helps in affecting the achievement of the objectives laid down by the organization. The customers, shareholders, suppliers, employees and the external community are considered to be the main stakeholders of the companies who help in carrying out the operations in a smooth manner. Researchers Comyns and Figge (2015) were of the opinion that there are mainly two types of stakeholders such as primary and secondary. The primary stakeholders exist within the organization and are mainly involved in carrying out the transactions of the business. Cohen and Simnett (2014) were of the opinion that the stakeholders that are secondary in nature are the external stakeholders who create an impact in an indirect manner on the organization such as media and the surrounding community.

Most of the business organizations need to be concerned regarding the damages that can be caused on the stakeholders if they are only trying to increase the revenue of their businesses. The business organizations need to create the maximum values so that it can help them in increasing their revenue output as well. The stakeholders have no rights in contributing towards the ethical or the moral behaviour of the organizations during their process of decision making (Obeng-Odoom 2015).

In the recent times, it can be seen that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and government are taking part in becoming stakeholders within the companies, as it will help them in monitoring the works that are being done within the system. The main operations of the NGOs are to assist and secure the different ways in which the trust of the organization can be regained within the community (Thurner and Proskuryakova 2014).

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps in providing a competitive advantage to the daily activities of business, as it helps the organizations in establishing a better brand image in the market and increase its reputational value as well in the market. Most of the companies with the help of CSR help in gaining a reputation by bolstering its financial performance in the market. The reputation of the company with respect to its CSR activities will help the company in influencing the decision of the consumers in buying the products, which will be advantageous for the employees as well (Perks et al. 2013). It also results in keeping a health environment in the work place so that the dedication of the employees can be built based on the ethical commitments present within the company. It will also help in reducing the number of absenteeism and the increase in the unethical behaviour will also get reduced. There will be an increase in the level of satisfaction among the workers with respect to the job and increase in the level of productivity, as maintaining proper CSR activities will help in creating a positive atmosphere within the work place (Vries et al. 2015).

The benefits of practicing CSR helps in creating better chances for the organization to attract potential investors within the company, which will help them in differentiating the company from rest of the competitors in the market. The local communities along with the economy will get a boost so that they can become healthier and strong due to the business practices followed within the organization (Musa et al. 2013). Stat-Oil Oil Corporation is one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway that needs to follow corporate social responsibility thereby, ensuring social and environmental well-being.

Liu, Garcia and Vredenburg (2014) were of the opinion that economic crisis and poverty interferes with the CSR activities that are taken up in most of the organizations. The downward fall in the economy of the organization creates a commotion in the stability of earnings for the company, which helps in benefitting the society at the same time. The company can be able to manage its CSR activities if the financial statements of the organization are in an organized manner. Ayoola and Olasanmi (2013) stated that in most of the crisis situations, the companies try to cut down their costs on the programs of the society and invest heavily in increasing the productivity so that the goods and services are available within the market for the consumers to purchase it. This mainly affects the customers, investors and the employees in particular.

Garcia, Lessard and Singh (2014) stated that poverty on the other hand results in causing a failure within the organization with respect to the activities in CSR. Poverty is a phenomenon that results in the lack of necessary and basic components such as the quality of life and the major necessities that humans need like clothing, food and shelter. It is mainly concerned with the absence of the assets that are intangible in nature within the company.  

Raut, Narkhede and Gardas (2017) were of the view that the influence of poverty often results in the poor selection of directors within the company, as most of the top management does not cooperate with the employees and look after the basic necessities of the employees. The employees are not provided with adequate training programs. It also results in errors in the financial statements of the company, which may later downgrade the image of the company in the market. 

The oil companies need to maintain transparency in their sustainable activities so that it can help in providing knowledge to the local communities. This will help in gaining an active participation from the local communities as well. The company needs to maintain a third party so that the sustainable practices can be published for the local people to get a better knowledge regarding the activities that are undertaken by the oil companies (Nwagbara 2013). The way the companies behave with their employees and their impact on the community also helps them in getting their products certified so that it can be marketed in a better manner. The degree of attention towards the community needs to be higher by the company so that it can help them in supplying the goods and the services in the market in a proper manner (Harms, Hansen and Schaltegger 2013).

Most of the oil companies try to maintain their level of transparency by producing a report on their Corporate Social Responsibility so that it can help them in establishing their performance towards the environment and society as well. The report is also inclusive of the value of the organization along with the governance model so that there is a connection between the strategy taken up by the organization and their commitment towards maintaining a global economy (Abdalla and Ak 2015).

The sustainable report of the organization will help in understanding, communicating and measuring the performance of the governance models and the effect of triple bottom line as well. This will help in setting the goals within the organization so that the changes within the organization can be managed in an effective manner. The sustainable reporting of the organization will help in bringing external and internal benefits for the oil companies as well (Dibia and Onwuchekwa 2015). The internal benefits would be the understanding of the opportunities and the risks present within the organization in an increased manner. It will also help in emphasizing on the connection between the the non-financial and financial performance of the companies so that it can help in influencing the strategy and policy of the organization in the long-term as well (Amran et al. 2013).

The external benefits for the companies would be that it will help in increasing the loyalty of the brand and its status as well within the competitive market so that the external stakeholders can help in identifying the true value of the organization along with the assets that are tangible and intangible in nature (Wilbum and WIlbum 2013).

The discussions and decisions in terms of the corporate governance involves the participation of the Board of Directors thereby, shedding light on the significance of the success of the organizations they govern. As commented by Dodd (2017), separation of ownership of an entity from the management gives rise to the potential issues in the governance. It is the duty of the Board of Directors to look into the issues and resolve them thereby, ensuring the success of the company. However, as argued by Khan, Muttakin and Siddiqui (2013), the Board of Directors are not supposed to take care of the money of other people as they do for their own.

The above figure suggests the importance of boardroom in the successful running of the organization. The Board of Directors spend huge amount of time in analysing the risk management, investments, performance management, business strategy and compliance. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

The effectiveness of boardroom is highly criticised as it is questioned how far the decisions taken in the boardroom influences the performance of the business organizations. As commented by Berger, Kick and Schaeck (2014), researches have been conducted suggesting the positive impact of board meetings on the success of the firm. The researches have been conducted by taking into account the financial performance as the proxy and have found that decisions taken in the boardroom is effective and protects the interest of the shareholders. However, as argued by Schulz-Menger et al. (2013), the effectiveness of the decisions taken in the board room has more crucial in terms of board roles, that is, the indirect relationship between the performance of the company and the board of directors. Thus, it can be said that the contribution of the boardroom is immense in making the organization operate successfully in the market. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

The Board of Directors have gained limelight recently due to the different corporate governance scandals around the world. The various corporate governance scandals around the world include WorldCom, HIH insurance in Australia, Parmalat in Italy, Tyco International in the United States and Enron (Agarwal and Cooper 2017). The above scandals shed light on the inadequate and ineffective role played by Board of Directors and decision taken in the boardrooms. After the Enron scandal due to the failure of the board of directors, The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 2002 was developed in the US and in different countries. Thus, the boards are facing pressure to live up to their responsibilities thereby, reducing the abuses of the corporate governance. As commented by Kim and Lu (2013), the boards have tremendous pressure over the years in order to show how they have benefitted the companies. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

The concept of Anglo-US model highlights the dispersed ownership thereby, allowing the owners to control the management indirectly by selecting representatives to the board that keeps an eye on the management. As commented by Kraakman and Hansmann (2017), the major characteristics of the Anglo-US model are the shared ownership of the investors of the firms and the individuals within the firm. The three major components of the Anglo-US model are the shareholders, management and the directors thereby, forming the corporate governance model.

The Anglo-US model emphasizes on the primacy of the shareholders. This core value of the model led to the development of different elements of governance. The model assumes that maximizing the wealth of the shareholders is the main responsibility of the top executives or the board of directors. The model of emphasizes on the different governance factors such as segregating control from ownership, gaining finances from the stock market and using the independent directors. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

The Continental European model is also termed as the German model and differ from the Anglo-US model significantly. As mentioned by Tricker and Tricker (2015), two-tier principle forms the concept of the Continental model that differentiates the supervisory board and the management board thereby, preventing them from overlapping the members. The management board comprises of individuals that manages the company whereas the supervisory board comprises of the individuals that is responsible for appointing as well as supervising the management board. Both employees and shareholders comprise the seats of the supervisory board. In addition to, the model consists an additional level that helps in segregating the monitoring function and the executive function of the board. Thus, the supervisory board forms the upper level and includes the non-executive supervisor directors whereas the management board forms the lower level and includes the executive directors (Essen, Engelen and Carney 2013). The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

As commented by Edmans (2014), the controlling owners have concentrated the corporate ownership. This suggests higher voting rights in excess of cash flow rights. As a result, the controlling owners possess the authority of influencing the strategic decisions of the company by taking part in the management monitoring decision. A single large board of directors is the characteristics of the the Japanese model of boards of directors that is mainly dominated by the managers. The four major factors of this model include the affiliated company (major inside shareholder), main bank (major inside shareholder), the government and management. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

Sustaining the competitive market is the main principle of the oil and gas companies. With the increased number of oil and gas companies in the market, the board of directors of the company needs take necessary steps and decisions for standing out in the competitive market. The boardroom is the place where the board of directors take decisions for adding value and culture to the company and its operations. As commented by Buse, Bernstein and Bilimoria (2016), it is the place where the management or the board of directors develop policies for the betterment of the company and ensure following the corporate social responsibility. The oil and gas industry needs to ensure corporate social responsibility while doing business. Thus, the boardroom is the place that helps in developing policies that the oil and gas companies needs to follow for ensuring effective corporate social responsibility. The boardroom plays a significant role for Stat-Oil Oil Corporation, one of the leading Oil and Gas Company of Norway as this provides an opportunity for the company to develop policies and framework that will fulfill corporate social responsibility.  

This chapter will deal with the different methodologies that will be taken in to consideration by the researcher so that it can help him in completing the process in an efficient manner (Dumay and Cai 2015). The researcher for this particular research process has taken up the positivism philosophy, descriptive type of research design along with the deductive approach (Mackey and Gass 2015). The researcher has also taken in to consideration the primary method of collecting the data so that it can be analysed and the results can help in achieving the objectives that are taken up for the research process. The data has been collected in a quantitative manner by surveying the employees of the oil company and gathering their responses (Bauman, Cross and Walker 2013). The use of the correct methods of research will help in getting the proper result of the research and the methods that has been chosen by the researcher has been justified as well (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015). 

This process helps the researcher in evaluating the data that has been gathered by him. The researcher needs to collect the authentic data, which is apt with the topic chosen for the process of the research (Matthews and Ross 2014). The research philosophy is of three types such as the positivism, realism and interpretivism philosophy. The positivism philosophy allows the researcher in gathering the data that are factual and are relevant to the research topic (Brinkmann 2014). The data is mostly detailed in nature and helps in providing better quality to the outcome of the research. The interpretivism philosophy is based on the information that is structured in a social manner and is based on reality. The facts that are collected will allow the researcher in understanding the topic in a effective manner. The realism philosophy is a mixture of the above-mentioned philosophies and it lets the researcher in collecting the information that are based on facts and are socially constructed as well (Flick 2015).

The positivism philosophy has been chosen by the researcher for this particular research, as the information that has been gathered is authentic in nature and will enable the researcher in the process of data collection so that it can help in affecting the outcome of the research in a positive manner.

The approach taken up in the process of research allows him to have a better knowledge regarding the topic that has been selected for the research. The research approach has to be selected based on the topic and the variables that have been taken up for the research process (Lushey and Munro 2015). There are mainly two types of research approaches such as the inductive and deductive approach. It is of utmost importance that the research topic has to be evaluated with the help of models and theories (Silverman 2016). Thus, selecting the best approach will help in getting a proper research result. The deductive approach enables the researcher in using the suitable models and theories so that it is relevant with the variables taken up for the research. The inductive approach allows the researcher in setting up new models and theories that are required in the research process (Vaioleti 2016).

The deductive approach has been chosen for this particular research. The primary reason for choosing this approach is that it will allow the researcher in saving the time for the research process. It will also enable the research to work with the budget allotted for the research process. Apart from this, the relevant theories and models that need to be framed up will increase the time and budget as well for the researcher. Thus, the researcher has eliminated the inductive approach for the research approach.

For the research to be successful, it is highly important that the researcher has to understand the topic in a better manner. This will enable the researcher in collecting the information that is relevant to the variables taken up in the research process. There are mainly three types of purpose such as exploratory, explanatory and descriptive (Smith 2015). The explanatory purpose allows the researcher in identifying the relation of the variables taken up in the research. This process helps the researcher in linking the variables with each other that has been taken up in the research (Choy 2014). Exploratory purpose helps in analysing the background of the research and identifies the issues and the social cause that is behind the research. The descriptive purpose assists the researcher in obtaining a explanation regarding the topic of the research and the purpose behind the research (Panneerselvam 2014).

The research will be based on the explanation that is original and is based on the research topic so that the variables can be analysed in a proper manner. The descriptive research purpose will enable the researcher in having a broad understanding of the topic of the research so that questions and objectives can be framed in a proper manner.

The strategy of a research helps in taking up the information that are relevant in nature so that the research can be completed in a proper manner. There are various strategies that can be taken up such as case study, focus group, survey and interview (Reynolds et al. 2014). The secondary process of research is mainly based on focus groups and case study analysis and the primary process of research is mainly based on collecting interviews and surveys (Gast and Ledford 2014). The use of focus groups and case studies helps the researcher in considering the articles, websites and journals that are authentic in nature so that the process can be clear. The survey and interview process allows the researcher in building a communication between the respondents so that the information can be collected from them (Neuman and Robson 2014).  

This research has been based on survey that was collected from the employees of the oil corporation so that the researcher can analyse it. This will enable the researcher in fulfilling the objectives that has been taken up for the process of research.

The researcher collects the authentic journal articles so that it can help in conducting the literature review in an efficient manner. The primary data that has been collected by the researcher from the employees will help in the analysis and finding of the research in a proper manner (Tarone, Gass and Cohen 2013).

This research will be conducted successfully with the help of the responses collected from 100 employees of the Stat-Oil Oil Corporation. The responses of the employees have been recorded that will be analysed in a proper manner so that it can help in providing the findings in a better way.

The researcher will be using the analytical tools for the statistical calculation of the quantitative data. The researcher will be taking the help of MS-Excel to gather the responses and the analysis will be done using the charts and bar graphs and Pearson’s Chi-Square test in the SPSS software (Bauer 2014).

The researcher did not apply any external pressure on the respondents for collecting the data, which could lead the survey to a wrong direction. The respondents were given all the freedom to take part in the process of survey. The researcher will not publish the data that has been gathered for use in the commercial sector and will abide by the data protection act that is present in their region (Tuphy et al. 2013).

What is your gender?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Male	35	35.0	35.0	35.0
Female	65	65.0	65.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Yes	62	62.0	62.0	62.0
No	38	38.0	38.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The above frequency table shows the relationship between the gender of the employees and their insights regarding the appointment of management personnel for looking after the CSR activities within the organization. It can be seen that most of the female employees have stated that the organization does appoint a management person in looking after the CSR activities that are being taken up by the organization. 

What is your gender? * Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities? Cross tabulation
	Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities?	Total
Yes	No
What is your gender?	Male	Count	24	11	35
% within What is your gender?	68.6%	31.4%	100.0%
% within Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities?	38.7%	28.9%	35.0%
% of Total	24.0%	11.0%	35.0%
Female	Count	38	27	65
% within What is your gender?	58.5%	41.5%	100.0%
% within Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities?	61.3%	71.1%	65.0%
% of Total	38.0%	27.0%	65.0%
Total	Count	62	38	100
% within What is your gender?	62.0%	38.0%	100.0%
% within Does your company have a management person looking after the CSR activities?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	62.0%	38.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)	Exact Sig. (2-sided)	Exact Sig. (1-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	.987a	1	.320
Continuity Correctionb	.604	1	.437
Likelihood Ratio	1.000	1	.317
Fisher’s Exact Test				.390	.219
Linear-by-Linear Association	.977	1	.323
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 0 cells (0.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 13.30.
b. Computed only for a 2×2 table

The Chi-Square test helps in finding out the statistical association between the dependent and the independent variables. It can be seen that the result of the test has come to be .219 where as the minimum value that was expected from the test was 13.30. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Therefore, it can be stated that both the genders are of the view that the organization appoints a separate management person to look after the CSR activities that are being taken up so that it can help the activities to be carried out in an efficient manner. 

What is your educational background?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Graduate	19	19.0	19.0	19.0
Postgraduate	46	46.0	46.0	65.0
Diploma	29	29.0	29.0	94.0
Ph.D	6	6.0	6.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

Does the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Yes	52	52.0	52.0	52.0
No	48	48.0	48.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The Above frequency table shows the relationship between the level of education of the employees and their knowledge regarding whether the CSR reports of the company is published on an annual basis. It can be seen that most of the employees who are postgraduates have stated that the organization publishes the CSR reports on an annual basis. 

What is your educational background? * Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis? Cross tabulation
	Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	Total
Yes	No
What is your educational background?	Graduate	Count	10	9	19
% within What is your educational background?	52.6%	47.4%	100.0%
% within Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	19.2%	18.8%	19.0%
% of Total	10.0%	9.0%	19.0%
Postgraduate	Count	25	21	46
% within What is your educational background?	54.3%	45.7%	100.0%
% within Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	48.1%	43.8%	46.0%
% of Total	25.0%	21.0%	46.0%
Diploma	Count	13	16	29
% within What is your educational background?	44.8%	55.2%	100.0%
% within Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	25.0%	33.3%	29.0%
% of Total	13.0%	16.0%	29.0%
Ph.D	Count	4	2	6
% within What is your educational background?	66.7%	33.3%	100.0%
% within Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	7.7%	4.2%	6.0%
% of Total	4.0%	2.0%	6.0%
Total	Count	52	48	100
% within What is your educational background?	52.0%	48.0%	100.0%
% within Do the company publish the CSR report on an annual basis?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	52.0%	48.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	1.219a	3	.748
Likelihood Ratio	1.231	3	.745
Linear-by-Linear Association	.011	1	.915
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 2 cells (25.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 2.88.

The result of the above test has come to be .748 where as the minimum value that was expected from the analysis was 2.88. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Therefore, it can be stated that employees who have different educational backgrounds are also of the view that the company publishes its CSR reports regarding the activities that are undertaken on an annual basis so that the local communities can get to know more about the sustainable practices undertaken by the organization.   

What is your position in the company?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Worker	29	29.0	29.0	29.0
Supervisor	55	55.0	55.0	84.0
Manager	16	16.0	16.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Code of Conduct	38	38.0	38.0	38.0
Health and Safety	38	38.0	38.0	76.0
Social issues	19	19.0	19.0	95.0
Environmental management	5	5.0	5.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The above frequency table shows the relationship between the position of the employees in the organization and their insights regarding the topics on which the training sessions are taken within the company. It can be seen that most of the supervisors in the company have stated that the training sessions are held on Code of Conduct and Health and Safety that needs to be maintained within the work place. 

What is your position in the company? * On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions? Cross tabulation
	On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?	Total
Code of Conduct	Health and Safety	Social issues	Environmental management
What is your position in the company?	Worker	Count	15	7	7	0	29
% within What is your position in the company?	51.7%	24.1%	24.1%	0.0%	100.0%
% within On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?	39.5%	18.4%	36.8%	0.0%	29.0%
% of Total	15.0%	7.0%	7.0%	0.0%	29.0%
Supervisor	Count	19	24	9	3	55
% within What is your position in the company?	34.5%	43.6%	16.4%	5.5%	100.0%
% within On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?	50.0%	63.2%	47.4%	60.0%	55.0%
% of Total	19.0%	24.0%	9.0%	3.0%	55.0%
Manager	Count	4	7	3	2	16
% within What is your position in the company?	25.0%	43.8%	18.8%	12.5%	100.0%
% within On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?	10.5%	18.4%	15.8%	40.0%	16.0%
% of Total	4.0%	7.0%	3.0%	2.0%	16.0%
Total	Count	38	38	19	5	100
% within What is your position in the company?	38.0%	38.0%	19.0%	5.0%	100.0%
% within On what topic does the company conduct the training sessions?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	38.0%	38.0%	19.0%	5.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	8.265a	6	.219
Likelihood Ratio	9.307	6	.157
Linear-by-Linear Association	2.899	1	.089
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 4 cells (33.3%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .80.

The test has revealed that the result has come to be .219 where as the minimum value that was expected from the test was .80. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Therefore it can be stated that employees who hold different positions in the company are also of the view that these training sessions are also important to work in a better manner within the organization. 

What is your gender?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Male	35	35.0	35.0	35.0
Female	65	65.0	65.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Yes	41	41.0	41.0	41.0
No	40	40.0	40.0	81.0
Maybe	19	19.0	19.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The above frequency table shows the relationship between the gender of the employees and their knowledge regarding the conduction of training sessions within the organization that helps in increasing the CSR activities within the work place. It can be seen that most of the female employees have agreed to the fact that the training sessions are undertaken within the organization so that it can help in increasing the CSR activities within the company. 

What is your gender? * Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place? Cross tabulation
	Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place?	Total
Yes	No	Maybe
What is your gender?	Male	Count	17	15	3	35
% within What is your gender?	48.6%	42.9%	8.6%	100.0%
% within Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place?	41.5%	37.5%	15.8%	35.0%
% of Total	17.0%	15.0%	3.0%	35.0%
Female	Count	24	25	16	65
% within What is your gender?	36.9%	38.5%	24.6%	100.0%
% within Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place?	58.5%	62.5%	84.2%	65.0%
% of Total	24.0%	25.0%	16.0%	65.0%
Total	Count	41	40	19	100
% within What is your gender?	41.0%	40.0%	19.0%	100.0%
% within Does the company conduct training sessions for increasing the CSR activities within the work place?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	41.0%	40.0%	19.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	3.945a	2	.139
Likelihood Ratio	4.353	2	.113
Linear-by-Linear Association	3.131	1	.077
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 0 cells (0.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 6.65.

The result of the test has come to be .139 where as the minimum value that is required for the test has to be 6.65. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Therefore it can be stated that both the genders are of the view that the training sessions that are undertaken within the organization helps in increasing the CSR activities within the work place.   

What is your position in the company?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Worker	29	29.0	29.0	29.0
Supervisor	55	55.0	55.0	84.0
Manager	16	16.0	16.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

How do the CSR activities help the organization?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Increased brand image	50	50.0	50.0	50.0
Risk mitigation	36	36.0	36.0	86.0
Employee satisfaction	14	14.0	14.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The above frequency table shows the relationship between the position of the employees within the organization and their insights regarding the help that the CSR activities provide to the organization. It can be seen that most of the employees who are at the supervisor level thinks that the CSR activities help in increasing the brand image of the company that will help in increasing the level of profit for the company as well. 

What is your position in the company? * How do the CSR activities help the organization? Cross tabulation
	How do the CSR activities help the organization?	Total
Increased brand image	Risk mitigation	Employee satisfaction
What is your position in the company?	Worker	Count	18	7	4	29
% within What is your position in the company?	62.1%	24.1%	13.8%	100.0%
% within How do the CSR activities help the organization?	36.0%	19.4%	28.6%	29.0%
% of Total	18.0%	7.0%	4.0%	29.0%
Supervisor	Count	23	24	8	55
% within What is your position in the company?	41.8%	43.6%	14.5%	100.0%
% within How do the CSR activities help the organization?	46.0%	66.7%	57.1%	55.0%
% of Total	23.0%	24.0%	8.0%	55.0%
Manager	Count	9	5	2	16
% within What is your position in the company?	56.3%	31.3%	12.5%	100.0%
% within How do the CSR activities help the organization?	18.0%	13.9%	14.3%	16.0%
% of Total	9.0%	5.0%	2.0%	16.0%
Total	Count	50	36	14	100
% within What is your position in the company?	50.0%	36.0%	14.0%	100.0%
% within How do the CSR activities help the organization?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	50.0%	36.0%	14.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	3.869a	4	.424
Likelihood Ratio	3.946	4	.413
Linear-by-Linear Association	.241	1	.623
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 2 cells (22.2%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 2.24.

The result of the test has come to be .424 where as the minimum value that was expected from the test had to be 2.24. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Thus, it can be stated that employees who are holding different positions within the company are also of the view that the CSR activities that are being undertaken by the organization helps to increase the brand image of the company so that it can help them in increasing their margin of profit in the organization as well. 

What is your educational background?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Graduate	19	19.0	19.0	19.0
Postgraduate	46	46.0	46.0	65.0
Diploma	29	29.0	29.0	94.0
Ph.D	6	6.0	6.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

How does the company manage its CSR activities?
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	NGO	23	23.0	23.0	23.0
Directly	52	52.0	52.0	75.0
Regulatory body	25	25.0	25.0	100.0
Total	100	100.0	100.0

The above frequency table shows the relationship between the levels of education that the employees have and their insights regarding how the company manages the CSR activities within the work place. It can be seen that most of the postgraduate employees have stated that the company directly gets involved in managing the CSR activities, which helps in increasing the rate of transparency within the system.   

What is your educational background? * How does the company manage its CSR activities? Cross tabulation
	How does the company manage its CSR activities?	Total
NGO	Directly	Regulatory body
What is your educational background?	Graduate	Count	9	6	4	19
% within What is your educational background?	47.4%	31.6%	21.1%	100.0%
% within How does the company manage its CSR activities?	39.1%	11.5%	16.0%	19.0%
% of Total	9.0%	6.0%	4.0%	19.0%
Postgraduate	Count	4	32	10	46
% within What is your educational background?	8.7%	69.6%	21.7%	100.0%
% within How does the company manage its CSR activities?	17.4%	61.5%	40.0%	46.0%
% of Total	4.0%	32.0%	10.0%	46.0%
Diploma	Count	7	12	10	29
% within What is your educational background?	24.1%	41.4%	34.5%	100.0%
% within How does the company manage its CSR activities?	30.4%	23.1%	40.0%	29.0%
% of Total	7.0%	12.0%	10.0%	29.0%
Ph.D	Count	3	2	1	6
% within What is your educational background?	50.0%	33.3%	16.7%	100.0%
% within How does the company manage its CSR activities?	13.0%	3.8%	4.0%	6.0%
% of Total	3.0%	2.0%	1.0%	6.0%
Total	Count	23	52	25	100
% within What is your educational background?	23.0%	52.0%	25.0%	100.0%
% within How does the company manage its CSR activities?	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
% of Total	23.0%	52.0%	25.0%	100.0%

Chi-Square Tests
	Value	df	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square	17.724a	6	.007
Likelihood Ratio	17.387	6	.008
Linear-by-Linear Association	.390	1	.533
N of Valid Cases	100
a. 5 cells (41.7%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.38.

The result of the test has come to be .007 where as the minimum value that was expected form the analysis had to be 1.38. This shows that there is no statistical association between the variables. Therefore, it can be stated that the employees belonging to different educational backgrounds are also of the view that the company manages the CSR activities in a direct manner by getting involved in the system so that transparency can be maintained within the work place and the local communities can have a better knowledge regarding the activities undertaken by the company.

Conclusion and Reflection

Conclusion

This chapter helps the researcher in linking the objectives with the research that has been done so that it can help in providing finite conclusion to the research process. It will also allow the researcher to provide recommendation to the company so that they can maintain the CSR activities in a sustainable manner within the organization that will be beneficial for the local communities as well.

 To understand the role CSR plays in affecting the overall strategy of Stat-Oil Oil Corporation so that the business practices can be developed in a proper manner

 From analyzing the data, it can be seen that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps the oil corporation in managing its businesses in a sustainable manner. It will help the corporation in maintain a transparency with the activities that are being carried out in the work place so that the stakeholders can have a better knowledge regarding the activities. The level of transparency within the system helps the organization in taking the help of the local communities so that the activities can be sustainable in nature. It also helps the oil corporation in maintaining its financial statements in a better manner by investing in maintaining the surrounding environment in a proper manner. The employees can be provided with better training facilities so that they can enhance their skills and knowledge in a sustainable manner. It will also help in increasing the image of the brand in the market, as the company will be practicing sustainable business in a direct manner.

To understand the benefits of using CSR while formulating the business strategies within the company

The review of literature showed that Corporate Social Responsibility will help the organization in gaining a competitive advantage in the market along with a better core competency of the products that are being sold by the company. It will also help the oil corporation in increasing its revenues and profits in a longer term as well. It will also allow the company in gaining a competitive advantage in the market by increasing its reputation as well. The work place environment will become healthy for the employees, which will help in increasing the level of commitment and the number of absenteeism of the employees will also get reduced significantly. This will lead to increasing the satisfaction level of the employees towards the job, as the working environment will become healthy.

Previously I had some basic skills regarding the secondary method of research. However, it has greatly increased while conducting this current process of research. I have been able to prioritize the secondary data in a proper manner by referring to various articles and selecting the appropriate articles that will be required for this particular topic of the research. The literature review has helped me in setting up the questions and the objectives that needs to be taken up for the current research study. The benefits and the challenges that are present in the CSR have helped me in broadening my knowledge and skills regarding the positive and negative sides that the organization would have regarding the concept of CSR.

I have also gained a better knowledge regarding the collection of primary data,a s it has helped me in framing up the questionnaire in a better manner so that the responses can be collected accordingly. The role of the supervisor in my dissertation has been positive whose valuable help and advice had helped in collecting the responses and dealing with issues that I faced at different phases of the research process. It has also helped me in managing my time in an appropriate manner by planning and preparing the study at each stage in an organized manner. All the major hurdles that would consume the time were eliminated so that it can help me in completing the study within the least possible time.  

The efforts that were put by me in the current study were tremendous, as I had spent many hours in collecting the primary and the secondary data. Apart from this, the encouragement that my tutor and friends provided helped me in overcoming the insecurity that I was facing in the initial stages so that the current study can be completed in a confident manner. 

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