Does the application of corporate social responsibility support a high performance organisation in achieving better results? The case of mining multinationals in Peru

Recent literature indicates that the application of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can lead to better organisational performance. It is therefore logical to propose that CSR is not just a philosophy but can be a methodology suitable for business purposes, in the sense that a good application of CSR techniques supports an organisation in becoming a high performance organisation (HPO). The research described in this article investigates whether an organisation that applies CSR more fully achieves better organisational results than an organisation which uses CSR less in its business dealings. A comparison of two mining companies in Peru, using a CSR-HPO framework, shows that the mining company which practised CSR better indeed achieves higher organisational performance and is well on its way to becoming an HPO. A direct consequence of this finding is that it makes both social and economic sense for organisations to work on their CSR practice and behaviour, in order to become and stay an HPO.