Corporate Social Responsibility Projects of Companies Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Türkiye

The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious health, social, and economic consequences worldwide. During this challenging period, companies, as key economic actors, have also played a role in combating the negative impacts of the pandemic. In this context, this study examines the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities carried out by companies in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the negative effects experienced by their stakeholders. The sample consists of 21 companies/holdings selected from Capital magazine’s 2023 list of “Top CSR Companies” and additional firms featured in the 2021 and 2022 lists. In this study, company websites, sustainability reports and open news sources were thoroughly examined using content analysis methodology, and identified CSR activities were categorized into themes based on five stakeholder groups: employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and the local community. Findings indicate that all companies in the sample implemented at least one CSR activity during the pandemic. The majority of CSR efforts targeted local community, followed by employees and customers. One of the most interesting findings of the research is that no CSR activities that directly appeal to suppliers and shareholders were identified. CSR activities for local communities commonly included in-kind or financial donations, contributions to medical supply production, scientific research support, and psychological or educational assistance. For employees, the most common practices involved implementing health and safety measures in the workplace, transitioning to remote and flexible work models, supporting mental and physical health, and providing online training platforms. CSR activities targeting customers were mostly observed in the banking and telecommunications sectors and included economic relief packages, restructuring loans, offering free or discounted internet packages, and enhancing digital services. The findings of this study, based on the context of Türkiye as a developing country, are expected to make a significant contribution to the evolving CSR literature.