Bridging Regional Corporate Sustainability Differences With Diasporic Insights: A Case Made by the Indian Diaspora in Australia

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs are often developed in the Global North and applied in the Global South with minimal input from local Southern stakeholders. This may lead to a limited understanding of Southern cultural contexts, making CSR programs less effective. Despite growing calls for more culturally contextualized approaches, few studies explore CSR perceptions from the perspective of a Southern public. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the role of Southern diasporas as possible intermediaries in evaluating corporate sustainability efforts. The mixed-method study—comprising focus groups and an online survey conducted in Australia in 2022/23—focuses on the Indian Australian diaspora's evaluation of corporate sustainability and, more specifically, Porter and Kramer's Creating Shared Value (CSV) strategies. Through triangulation of the qualitative and quantitative findings, the research reveals that trust in corporate sustainability remains fragile but that the CSV model can offer a compelling and legitimate approach. It shows that certain CSV strategies, particularly those aligned with cultural and institutional frameworks, resonate more strongly with participants. This study underlines the value of culturally attuned corporate sustainability approaches and positions the active engagement with diasporas as a potential pathway to more effective, culturally informed, and locally relevant corporate sustainability practices.