An Afrocentric Analysis of the Successes and Failures of Chinese Companies in the Application of Corporate Social Responsibility in Zambia's Mining Sector - Research

Abstract

Zambia is a country that is situated in the Southern-Central of Africa, although others argue that it remains part of East Africa. In this article, the author has noted with concern that Zambia houses a lot of Chinese mining companies, even as it continues to swim in the pool of unemployment, poverty, health and safety problems, inclusive of child labours. What motivated the undertaking of this study is a lot of academic and/ scholarly literature, which is Western-informed through Euro-American theories which does not address the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Zambia's mining sector. Through an Afrocentric lens, this article analyses the conduct of Chinese mining companies and argues extensively that Zambia needs to direct attention and interrogate China's mining companies, particularly as it relates to the application of CSR. At the core of this article, the author places attention on the successes and failures of Chinese mining companies in their adherence to CSR. This article relies on a qualitative research approach in addressing its central objective, which manifest in the combination of structured interviews analysed using Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) and document review.