The influence of home country institutions on the adoption of corporate social responsibility policies by transnational mining corporations

An extensive literature exists on the influence of home country policies, political systems, and societal norms on the overseas environmental and human rights conduct of transnational corporations (TNCs). This literature has generally focused on the consequences of the overall institutional conditions within a home country, with relatively little research on the impacts of legislation, policies, and nongovernmental initiatives purposively designed to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) for overseas TNC operations. This review article contributes to a better understanding of this under-researched topic. After developing a conceptual framework, the authors offer preliminary evidence that Canadian institutions designed to improve corporate conduct abroad would appear to be significantly influencing the adoption of CSR policies by Canadian mining corporations operating in low- and middle-income countries. The findings reveal the need for additional research on the consequences of home country institutions designed to improve the overseas conduct of mining corporations, as well as the value of developing a robust theory of these impacts for extractive industries more generally. It further shows the need to better understand the extent to which the influence of home country institutions on policy adoption is translating into actual changes to the practices of transnational mining corporations.