Integrating social responsability oractices into corporate strategy

: growing with the community : the case of Delta Cafés

Abstract

The main aim of this dissertation is to study how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) isintegrated in companies, with special focus on the interaction between the corporation itselfand the local community. The problem statement relies on understanding how does this maycreate a win-win situation in the long-term. In order to comply with these objectives, ateaching case was built, based on Delta Cafés, a Portuguese company in the coffee industry,which has always been adopting these practices and has great impact in its local community.The challenge faced translates how CSR, when strategically taken, can simultaneously createeconomic and social value. This approach may diminish the threat of an economic crisis insocial responsibility practices. The dissertation concludes that Delta has been developing awin-win relationship with its community and is on the path to shared value creation.The dissertation is structured in five main chapters: (1) Introduction, referring to aim, scopeand methodology; (2) Literature Review, addressing the academic background for strategicCSR and corporate community involvement; (3) Case Study, presenting Delta's CSRpractices; (4) Teaching Notes, including how theory can be applied in the case study andproviding guidance questions for Professors; (5) Conclusions, Limitations and FutureResearch, discussing the relevance of taking a strategic and shared value approach to CSR.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Frazão Ferreira Fernandes Pinheiro (Supervisor)