Five different Latin American experiences help us to understand the impacts of corporate social responsibility on communities. We focus on communities composed of low-income populations to compare types of interventions, their main characteristics, spaces for community participation, and some results and impacts. Some of the findings indicate that (a) a company's enlightened self-interest in its CSR program ensures its commitment to the program and the program's sustainability; (b) community involvement from the outset in defining a project increases the probability of success, since corporations cannot assume they understand the needs of a community by taking them at face value; (c) projects do not create untenable expectations in local communities when they consider the whole life cycle and the sustainability of the investment after an appropriate exit strategy is executed; and (d) financial resources are only part of the equation because corporations can have enormous impacts with limited financing if programs are well defined and supported.

This chapter provides an overview of the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Latin America to understand the impact these practices have had on communities. We will review the research and practice of CSR in Latin America, then highlight successful and unsuccessful community development experiences resulting from CSR activities.The focus is on communities composed of low-income populations and the lessons learned from their experiences. The final sections describe current CSR trends in Latin America and the research that needs to be done.

Using a combination of thorough research and practical examples, Strategy and Competitiveness in Latin American Markets explains how the concept of the sustainability frontier that the book develops resolves the long-running debate on whether sustainability requires trade-offs or not.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development in Emerging Economies is an anthology of seven case studies plus two theoretical chapters in a comparative context. It analyzes issues related to the rise of multinational corporations, their immense economic and political influence in a globalized world, and their social responsibility/corporate citizenship. Corporate social responsibility is closely examined in terms of meeting the challenges of the widening gap between rich and poor, relationships with sovereign states, environmental degradation, exploitation of natural resources, labor practices, and human rights issues in societies in which multinational corporations operate. Are these corporations exempt from social roles and accountable to only their shareholders (the minimalist position propounded by economists such as Milton Friedman ), or do they also have ethical and social responsibilities to participate in improving the quality of human lives in impoverished societies in Africa , Asia and Latin America?

With funding for nonprofits shrinking and global markets shaky, our business and social sectors are both confronting an increasingly uncertain future. Many organizations are searching for innovative strategies that will counter the mounting pressures felt by communities and corporations alike. Common Interest, Common Good argues that forward-looking businesses and social sector organizations (both nonprofit and government) can solve many of their problems by working together-while serving the common good in the process. According to Shirley Sagawa and Eli Segal, alliances between for-profit and the not-for-profit industries yield enormous benefits for both. Businesses can boost their bottom line by leveraging a nonprofit partnership to enhance their image, reach new markets, increase consumer loyalty, and build a positive reputation with current and prospective employees. The upside is just as powerful for nonprofits, because an alliance with a corporation can provide crucial funds and visibility while helping to attract new volunteers and donors. Common Interest, Common Good showcases many such successful partnerships, from corporate sponsorships and cause-related marketing to employee volunteer programs and school-to-work initiatives. The authors also offer some much-needed guidance for avoiding many of the pitfalls that can undermine even the best alliances. A convincing, deeply felt book by two authors who have devoted much of their careers to helping public and private sectors find profitable new ways of working together, Common Interest, Common Good is a guided tour of the progressive new strategies that can contribute to the purpose of our businesses and the prosperity of our communities.

Canadian mining activity in Latin America has exploded over the past decade and a half. Investors have responded to neoliberal policies of deregulation, privatization, state-downsizing, and export promotion encouraged by leading capitalist nations and international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The result, predictably, has been sharp conflicts between the communities affected by mining and their advocates on one side, and the transnational mining companies supported by the local state and the Canadian government on the other. This collection, the most comprehensive in the English-language to date, investigates these conflicts in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Contributors address the related sustainable development, community, corporate, legal, and social issues. A valuable contribution to Latin American development studies, this collection will prove of interest to students and specialists in the field, journalists, NGOs, and policymakers.