Publisher Description

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major development strategy launched by the Chinese government with the goal of fostering economic cooperation among countries along the proposed routes. The BRI marks a new era in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) from developing countries are beginning to take primary responsibility for driving global flows of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Among hotly debated topics on how the BRI is reshaping the global competitive landscape, corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices of Chinese MNEs along the Belt and Road are noteworthy but relatively less discussed.This book investigates how do Chinese MNEs engage with, define, and implement CSR under such an enormous cooperative initiative through analyzing their CSR reporting practices in the BRI host countries. Besides this, opportunities and challenges of the BRI investments for sustainable development in host countries are examined. The book provides critical insights into the current institutional architecture for CSR reporting to promote sustainable development. It also highlights the importance of stakeholders' capacities to sustain, enact, and execute strict CSR disclosure laws and regulations.The findings mark important implications, particularly in view of growing concerns about international reputational damage of unsustainable OFDI. The book is suitable for researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of CSR, sustainability development, accounting, and international business; as well as others who are keen on the latest development of the BRI in relation to other developing and least-developed countries.

Author Biography

Ruopiao Zhang is Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at the School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology. Dr. Zhang obtained her Ph.D. degree in Accounting from the University of Macau. Dr. Zhang is an early career researcher in the field of social and environmental accounting with specialization in corporate social responsibility and sustainability, biodiversity and extinction accounting.Carlos Noronha is Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau. Dr. Noronha researches and publishes in the area of social accounting, especially in corporate disclosure. Currently, he is collaborating with his research team in the development of the Phenomenon Grande, a theoretical perspective to look into inter-related and multi-disciplinary social phenomena through a critical lens.Jieqi Guan is Assistant Professor in the School of Hospitality Management, Macao Institute for Tourism Studies. She obtained her Ph.D. degree from the University of Macau. Her research areas are mainly related to social accounting and reporting, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Table of Contents

1. Globalization, CSR, and Multinational Enterprises from Emerging Economies (EMNEs) 2. The Rise of China's Economy and the Chinese MNEs 3. The Belt and Road Initiative and CSR 4. CSR Reporting and Chinese MNEs 5. CSR Reporting in BRI Countries 6. Assessment of CSR Reporting Quality along the Belt and Road 7. CSR Reporting Contents of Chinese MNEs in BRI Host Countries 8. The Impact of Ownership Types on CSR Reporting Contents and Quality 9. Industry-specific CSR Reporting Contents in BRI Host Countries 10. CSR of Chinese MNEs in Developing Countries under the BRI Context: Through the Lens of Africa 11. How China's Belt and Road Initiative Is Faring: Implications and Outlooks for Corporate Social Responsibility

Review

"This book is very effective in explaining the operations of the Belt and Road initiative in terms of sustainable development goals whole also considering the Digital Silk Road and the overall effect of all activity upon sustainability. it does so with detailed explanations before going on to assess the effects. It does so through a rigorous assessment of the CSR reporting of the companies involved and their effects upon the respective locales. But do not take my word for this – read and assess yourself!"David Crowther, President, Social Responsibility Research Network"Young scholars and doctorate students interested in conducting CSR research, as well as scholars wishing to investigate topics linked to the BRI and the CSR of multinational corporations may find some reference value in the theoretical and empirical findings condensed in this book. It can be a valuable resource for MBA students and business practitioners as well, particularly with regard to the top 10 CSR reporting topics related to the BRI host countries that the authors have outlined."Peihua Fan, Asia Pacific Business Review

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