ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a critical review of the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in shaping corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing and developed countries. Changes in NGOs’ structure and operation have altered how CSR is perceived in the nations in which they operate. The rise of the concept of sustainable development has also influenced the expansion and collaboration of NGOs in different industries to endorse social, environmental, and economic development activities, which in turn has influenced how NGOs practicing CSR facilitate it for other key players in both developing and developed nations. In this chapter, we investigate and compare the role of NGOs as major practitioners and facilitators of CSR in developing and developed nations. NGOs with strong global and national presences in developing countries (e.g., Bangladesh and China) and developed countries (e.g., the United States and the United Kingdom) were selected after rigorous analysis to determine their eligibility for the intended research. A qualitative research method based on secondary data was used to conduct a comparative case analysis of NGOs operating at disparate economic levels to reveal the similarities, key differences, and driving factors that determine whether NGOs act as servers, advocates, or both in their use of CSR.
