Canadian Mining Companies and Corporate Social Responsibility: Weighing the Impact of Global Norms

This study analyzes the factors that led two Canadian mining companies, Noranda and Placer Dome, to adopt polices on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Although much has been written on CSR in the business and organization fields, there has been little scholarly treatment of the topic from a social sciences perspective. A common assumption is that companies are merely reacting to societal pressures from transnational non-governmental organizations. This study challenges that assumption, by weighing the impact of emerging global norms of CSR against influences internal to the companies themselves, and domestic influences operating in Canada. The research findings point to the decisive influence of internal company dynamics and the experience of operating mines in Canada. While emerging global CSR norms are important, their role is more complex than is often assumed, as mining companies have been proactive in their efforts to shape those norms.