Abstract
There is no universally accepted understanding of the effects of corporate social investment (CSI) on the return on investment (ROI). According to Hamann (2009), certain shareholders and managers believe that CSI disturbs companies’ main business objective, which is to make more money for the shareholders, arguing that CSI is an expense, not an investment to the company. The overall objective of the study is to explore the perceptions of employees on the ROI from CSI at a South African financial services company.
The nature of this study is an exploratory descriptive qualitative research strategy designed to explore and describe the perceptions of employees on the ROI from CSI in the context of a South African financial services company. Ten employees from a South African financial services company were selected for the interviews. The qualitative data collected from the selected employees was analysed through thematic analysis to determine the perceptions of employees on the ROI from CSI.
The research results indicate that the perception of employees on the ROI from CSI at a South African financial services company differs according to the views of the employees interviewed. The employees that were interviewed provided their own, various perceptions of the matter at hand, however, most participants seem to suggest that there is a mutual benefit for the company and the community from the CSI programmes.
M.Com. (Financial Management)