STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OUTCOMES: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GHANAIAN MINING SECTOR

ABSTRACT This study examined how a mining company in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Newmont Golden Ridge Limited (NGRL), integrates stakeholder approaches in its CSR to ensure sustainability of CSR outcomes. A qualitative approach using a single case study of NGRL was adopted. The study purposively selected thirty five (35) key participants including officials of NGRL, selected chiefs, selected officials of two regulatory bodies, and community members. The main instruments for the primary data collection involved face-to-face in-depth interviews, observations and focus group discussions (FGDs). Both interviews and focus group discussions revealed that the nature and form of CSR outcomes targeted the tangible and intangible needs of community members. The study found that NGRL has made a strategic move to heighten sustainability of CSR by establishing Newmont Akyem Development Foundation (NAkDeF) which plans development projects with the communities. The company has adopted three key strategies comprising involvement, consultation and collaborative processes as its stakeholder engagement approach to enhance effective maintenance and sustainability of projects. However, the study observed a number of challenges that beset community engagement in CSR. These challenges include extreme demand from stakeholders, poor voluntary participation on the part of stakeholders and high dependency on the company. The study recommends that NGRL should actively manage the demands and expectations of their various stakeholder groups. It was also recommended that management should educate stakeholders on actual issues of corporate mining. Furthermore, we recommend that top management should involve themselves in the selection of strategic projects as well as the selection of stakeholder representatives for the communities.