Creating shared value through a corporate social responsibility initiative focusing on leadership development

Abstract

This article considers the potential shared value creation of corporate social responsibility initiatives when focusing on the development of leadership capability. It is based on the outcomes of the first of a three-phase ongoing research project, concluded in 2017. The study investigated the perspectives of South African business leaders on the effectiveness of a leadership development programme that formed part of their respective organisations’ social responsibility initiatives. An empirical study was conducted with a purposive, convenient sample (N = 73) of business leaders who finished the 12-month partnership programme. Phase 1 followed a qualitative approach that consisted of a short self-report online survey containing questions that required participants to provide a narrative description of their experience.. The qualitative data was analysed through a process of thematic analysis to determine themes or patterns within the data. The results indicated that the distinctive design of the programme not only adds considerably to its achievements as a social responsibility programme, but also results in a leadership development programme that benefits the business leader and its organisation, thus creating shared value and responsible leadership.