Internalizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in ASM: The making of small-scale miners as environmental and work safety “‘champions’”

Purpose While the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector is far from a new occurrence, far less common is an examination of the CSR-related activities of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) firms. Drawing on Carroll (1991) four-part model of CSR as a lens, this paper aims to explore the discursive construction of some socioenvironmentally oriented activities of a small-scale mining operator to extend our understanding of CSR in practice. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a qualitative research design involving semistructured interviews with the management and staff of a small-scale mining company located in the Eastern region of Ghana. Findings The findings suggest small-scale mining operators, contrary to the dominant narrative of being inattentive to CSR concerns, could strategically leverage salient environmental management practices and novel worker safety procedures to make them unanticipated champions of CSR. Originality/value The study extends our understanding of how salient organizing practices of small-scale mining firms may cohere to give shape and form to the practice of CSR in context.