Graduation Year

Spring 2011

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP)

Reader 1

William Ascher

Rights Information

© 2011Emily Coleman Ms.

Abstract

This thesis evaluates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives implemented by Alcoa, Votorantim, and Vale as a means to aid in poverty alleviation in the Brazilian regions these mining companies operate. Even though Brazil is ranked as the eighth largest economy in the world, 50 million Brazilians are living on less than US$1 per day. The presence of large mining corporations in Brazil’s poorest regions represents an opportunity for corporate social responsibility investments to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions in these locations. This research highlights the importance of designing corporate social responsibility programs according to the specific characteristics of a region such as, stage of development and style of negotiations with the local community. In addition, mining companies should focus on publishing comprehensive information on corporate social responsibility investments as a means to portray transparency to stake holders. Further, companies must design corporate social responsibility programs with clear and quantitative goals in order to implement effective monitoring and evaluating mechanisms. This research illuminates that Alcoa, Votorantim, and Vale appear to allocate minimal or no funds for corporate social responsibility program appraisal and lack strategic responses to improve their programs.

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