Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the construction industry of Sri Lanka

Construction could be considered an industry that provides a major contribution to the economy, society, and the environment. However, it is often criticised due to its unethical and substandard practices. Thus, effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices could be utilised to minimise the adverse effects in the industry and lead to sustainability of the industry. This study focused on identifying various CSR practices prevailing in the Sri Lankan construction industry. A qualitative research approach, with twenty-three semi structured interviews, on a purposive sample, was used to gather data. Grounded theory: transcribing, coding, categorizing, was used for data analysis with five expert group interviews conducted to validate the gathered data. Findings revealed that the activities related to, three categories of CSR activities performing among construction business organisations i.e. business process-related CSR, business environment-related CSR, and philanthropic activities. Despite the industry's focus on philanthropy, it still has the capability to promote the concept of CSR through its various business process-related and business environment-related activities. As the main implication of this research, industry practitioners and stakeholders can apply the identified CSR categories and CSR activities within their core business operations to contribute to sustainable development.