Soccer fields? What for? Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the mining industry

While there is significant research regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the mining industry, there is a lack of understanding in terms of the actual effectiveness of CSR initiatives disclosed by these companies. This paper aims to examine the perceptions of stakeholders in the mining industry regarding the intended results of CSR initiatives. Results show three ineffective situations that emerged from empirical contrasts of CSR initiatives declared by mining companies in sustainability reports and the actual impact on beneficiaries in communities: (1) failure of the CSR initiatives to contribute to real community beneficiary needs; (2) failure of the CSR initiatives to adjust to the socio-cultural characteristics of the beneficiary group; and (3) failure of the CSR initiatives to ensure sustainability in the long run. This study contributes to the literature on CSR initiative effectiveness and provides suggestions for mining managers, government, and policymakers.