International Corporate Responsibility Series

Volume 3, 2007

Controversies in International Corporate Responsibility

Partner Selection for Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts
The Case of Choosing NGO Partners

The objective of this paper is to suggest types of analysis that can help managers effectively choose NGO partners that help them meet their international corporate sustainability and social responsibility goals. NGO partner choices should offer a good fit to corporate goals/objectives and create opportunities to reap the benefits of social responsibility and sustainability efforts, which include public image, environmental protection, customer and stakeholder satisfaction, employee morale, and (most importantly) the completion of work that serves a social responsibility or sustainability goal. Examples of this type of goal include providing income generation activities for persons with HIV/AIDS, and educational opportunities for people who would not normally get them. The paper explores three lenses through which partner choice may be viewed: agency theory, transaction cost economics, and resource dependency. Areas for further exploration are suggested, and a comprehensive research agenda/model is discussed.