Abstract
M.Comm.
Organisations, such as the banks, have realised that it is important to be profitable while, at the same time, they need to be good corporate citizens. Banks have certain codes of practice to follow and, by investing in more than just their core business, they can improve on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiatives. These CSR and sustainability practices are used as a means of demonstrating to their stakeholders that they are taking pro-active measures to behave in a manner that is socially responsible and that they are making a contribution to mitigating the socio-political effects of South Africa‟s past. However, banks might be using their CSR endeavours as a means to improve their public image rather than engaging in actual corporate citizenship.
The objective of the study was to investigate stakeholders‟ perception of the relevance of CSR policies and practices in each of South Africa‟s four largest banks.