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.

This book breaks new ground by providing a structured and cohesive set of contributions on the actions, developments, problems and theories of corporate social responsibility (CSR). With new case studies from the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), contributors in this book investigate how firms in Eastern and Western countries are responding to and making use of evolving CSR guidelines. The book addresses the following questions: is CSR simply greenwashing or an authentic commitment to responsible corporate citizenship? Has globalization drawn CSR conduct in LDCs closer to that of industrialized countries? Stakeholder theory, actor–network theory and a new orbital theory of accountability are applied to give coherence to the case studies. Other chapters address greenwashing in reports, the impact of CSR in socially stigmatized occupations, an analysis on what responsibility precisely entails in CSR, and the interface between law and CSR. The book also considers the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, and includes a contribution from Ukrainian scholars, one written while their city of Kharkiv was under attack by Russian forces. This book will be a useful reference to those interested in discussions on crises, climate change, and SDGs and realizing sustainable goals through CSR.

Can China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promote sustainable development, alongside its primary aims of increasing commercial connectivity with China’s partners? In discussions of the BRI the focus has tended to be on the implications for infrastructure construction, connectivity, and economic diplomacy. Rather less attention has been paid to its potential impact on sustainability. The initiative has not only set principles to prevent climate change and promote sustainable development, but also pledged to align with the UN’s environmental objectives. The contributors to this volume describe and evaluate the consequent policy coordination in the areas of green finance, green energy, and sustainable development in the Belt and Road regions. They examine both the challenges and opportunities of these projects, and the role that Hong Kong can play in supporting their assessment, finance, and implementation. With contributions from authors based in mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia, Qatar, the UK, and the US – with experience in corporate social responsibility, international finance, environmental policy, and international relations – this book presents a thorough and rigorous analysis of the green side of the BRI. A valuable resource for scholars of the BRI and its many implications for China, its partners, and the development of sustainable infrastructure.

This book explores the relationship between China and international norms through the lens of The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Presenting seven case studies, this book highlights China’s stances toward international norms that govern different international issues. The case studies reveal that the normative function of the networks built under the BRI is limited and contains noticeable variations between domestic norms and international ones in China, resulting in implementation gaps between rhetoric and deeds. Unlike current literature on this issue, which is scattered in terms of topics covered and methodology used, it constructs a holistic theoretical/methodological framework which can be utilized to study a State’s position toward different international standards. In light of China’s increasing international influence and proactive and assertive foreign policy, this study will be of interest to officials and practitioners involved in foreign policy and international cooperation, and to student and scholars of global development and international relations.

China’s Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) is an ambitious infrastructure project conceived in 2013 by President Xi Jinping with development and investment initiatives stretching from Asia and Europe that reflect the original Silk Road with business networks through countries such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as India and Pakistan, spanning a route of more than 4,000 miles and history that can be dated back more than 2,200 years. Given the background of China’s unique approach in fighting COVID-19, and against the backdrop of sluggish economic growth, innovation, and management, sustainable development of BRI will be the key and the driving force for the post-pandemic economic recovery of many countries, especially as BRI countries now account for nearly 30% of China’s foreign trade and 15% of outward direct investment. The vision to create a vast network of railways, energy pipelines, highways, and streamlined border crossings to expand the international use of Chinese currency and improve connectivity to China is good foresight and proved fortuitous when the COVID-19 pandemic came to plague the world, and amid the conflicts between the United States and China as well as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Since the inception of BRI, many books have been written to cover topics ranging from globalization to detailing how China’s business and politics are a major motivation for China’s overseas economic activities with case studies and practices, yet few of these books provide a structured approach to the sustainable management of BRI projects. This book is about how to manage the innovation, sustainability, and business necessary to make BRI work and how to handle the issues, problems, and crises that may arise in the process. Participants of BRI projects can take on many different roles, but ultimately, it is team effort and leadership that creates successful projects. Here, readers will find guidelines and insights to survive and prosper in a myriad of BRI opportunities and risks. Most important of all, this book provides a glimpse of different approaches for success in BRI projects, including sustainability, environmental issues, social and political aspects, technology, choice of industry, project management, education and training, governance, and many more.

This book discusses the progress of the BRI as it enters its tenth year after being launched in 2013 and becoming by far the biggest bilateral development assistance program in the world. The analysis offered herein is based on eleven detailed 'inside-out' country studies by independent experts and the studies presented here explain in an accessible manner how the pace and direction of the BRI has been impacted by the pandemic, the debt distress faced by many countries and the policies adopted by the Chinese authorities to navigate these new challenges.

While the number of publications on corporate social responsibility has skyrocketed since the last economic crisis that began in 2008, challenges still remain in the modern economy that make socially responsible business a leading topic both in the field of science and business practice. The concept of corporate social responsibility covers not only practices implemented by enterprises but also attitudes represented by consumers and other market entities. Though much has been written about corporate social responsibility and the potential benefits it offers businesses, there remains a misunderstanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR), responsible management (RM) and responsible consumption (RC). Examining the level of responsible management practices implemented by Polish enterprises and assessing consumer attitudes in the field of corporate social responsibility will serve to identify best business practices and enhance management theory. Because this research examines both sides of the market, companies and consumers, it offers a more holistic view on social responsibility, responsible management and responsible consumer behaviour. The contribution of this book is the development of the assessment tool for measuring social responsibility of every enterprise – Enterprise Social Responsibility Index (EnSRI) and Consumer Social Responsibility Index (CnSRI). This book is written to meet the needs of academics, students, company owners and managers. It also provides an integrated view of responsibility from the point of view of both enterprises and consumers.

Sustainable Economy and Emerging Markets provides a snapshot of the different dimensions of sustainability and analyses how they interact and configure themselves, case by case, in selected emerging economies. The parameters of economic growth in developing economies are explored in the context of systems, climate change, and environmental challenges. With contributions from a range of business academics, economists, and practitioners, this book conveys a picture of the complex nature of the new global business environment, especially the geopolitical dynamics of emerging countries, and breaks down the challenges across geographic fault lines, offering insights into current business practice. By adopting an in-depth case study approach, this edited book offers and discusses examples from several emerging markets and elucidates how these organisations have modelled business based on sustainable development in its various forms. This book will prove valuable reading for students and scholars of international business, international trade, sustainability, and development.

This book scrutinizes the role of Hong Kong in the expansive, and contested, vision of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In two main parts, it first discusses the defining features of the BRI and the evolving expectations of the role of Hong Kong in the BRI from the perspectives of policy makers and the professional sectors of accountancy-finance and the law. The second part contemplates the potential opportunities for Hong Kong from the perspectives of recipient countries-Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Utilizing an action research approach and engaging the views of a broad spectrum of actors, the authors observe the critical role of agency and innovations in a context of institutional contradictions, the impact of BRI governance structure for the deficits in international participation, gaps between grand state visions and commercial interests, and the salience of effective communication in navigating complex policy initiatives. Taking these together unpacks the complex processes shaping Hong Kong’s participation and role in the BRI. This book will appeal to students and researchers interested in the BRI and Hong Kong, in the contexts of institutional contradictions, agency innovations, and political dynamics, as well as sustainable development.

Graft is a common and persistent social pathogen that afflicts the developed and developing world in equal measure. This book describes, through the medium of international case studies, how graft undermines public safety and how, following a near-miss, incident or accident, investigators can use actor-network theory (ANT) to ascertain to what degree and through what mechanisms graft contributed to the event. The book introduces the reader to graft through a variety of case studies and explains how graft works against the public interest. The relatable case studies include the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster, 2007 Adam Air crash, 2015-ongoing Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal and 2020 Beirut ammonium nitrate explosion (Lebanon). It demonstrates the threat graft poses to public safety, economic success and corporate and national reputation. By the end of the book the reader will understand the nature and extent of the problem of graft, how graft undermines safety, confidence and reputation, and how ANT can be used to identify and quantify graft in respect of the governance of technological systems and to ascertain to what degree and through what mechanisms graft contributed to a near-miss, incident or accident. Primarily aimed at an academic audience, this book will offer essential insights to students, researchers and faculty within the fields of risk, crisis and disaster management, as well as corporate governance and safety. The accessible nature of the book will also appeal to safety practitioners, risk managers and accident investigators.