This study investigates global awareness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among multinational corporations (MNCs). Despite the rapid growth of MNCs, research on public CSR awareness on a global scale is limited. To address this deficit, primary research data have been collected from across the globe to identify the level of awareness among the existing public at large of CSR in accordance with economic development. The data were collected using the purposive quota sampling method across over 100 nations, with over 1,500 respondents from North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Caribbean offering a global sample set. Data were then coded in accordance to the World Bank’s economic development classification and analysed using Spearman’s rho test. Findings reveal that there is indeed an association between the economic development of a nation and awareness of CSR. The association shows that there seems to be an inverse effect and that CSR awareness is higher in economies that are developing. This suggests that factors such as culture, religion and colonial history may influence CSR perceptions in these regions.

Corporate social responsibility, economic development, environment, multinational corporations, Sustainable Development Goals

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