Corporate social responsibility and actor-network theory. The Conga case

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is presented as a company ethical framework to account for the consequences of its activity and more specifically considering environmental, social and governing (ESG) dimensions. However, these principles are framed in sociocultural, economic and managerial references that are not always shared by the parties involved. Given this approach, the conflict surrounding the Conga mining project is examined from a CSR and Public Relations (PR) perspective, using Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to enrich PR theories and overcome limitations of the Stakeholder Theory (ST).

Their worldview is based on a holistic conception of the world with Pachamama as the central figure representing the earth, thanks to which they live. Other important characteristics of their idiosyncrasy are (Morales, 2010): the circularity of time; a socio-economic and socio-cultural organisation in ayllus that allow them to put into practice the key principles for society of solidarity, redistribution and reciprocity; an understanding of the earth, the sun and water as deities; water as an effective mediator between society and the supernatural.

In 2010, the people of Cajamarca, still owners of one of the most important gold riches on the planet, confronted the Newmont Mining Corporation, one of the most important and powerful gold mining companies in the world. After the presentation of their Conga mining project Environmental Impact Study in Peru, which aimed to give the green light to the exploitation of gold in the Peruvian highlands. Despite strong criticism from local authorities and organisations, the study received governmental approval. This triggered a conflict that involved protests, road blockades, emergencies, and deaths. Given the unfavorable socio-political environment, to say the least, in 2016, Newmont withdrew, from the project.

Through a qualitative approach and explanatory scope, this research improves CSR and stakeholder approaches with the introduction of Actor Network Theory to broaden public relations ability to take into account a cross-cultural ontology of the world.

To this end, more than 100 documentary sources were systematically examined and coded after sifting through more than 2000 documents located via a hegemonic search engine or directly from institutional websites from involved Peruvian organisations, NGOs, etc. Repetitive documents and documents that were not focused sources of information were ignored. Scientific articles (32), papers and reports (17), newspapers and magazines (46) as well as documentaries or YouTube interviews (5) covering the period from 2008 to 2020 have been included in this study.

The first key elements of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) were used as a heuristic grid. First, a thorough context analysis was carried out, followed by the attribution of discursive positionnings and their encompassing problematization, their obligatory passage points, spokespersons, problematisation, interressement, enrolment, and mobilization.

This case is presented as a paradigmatic example of a conflict where CSR needs to go beyond conventional public relations. This case illustrates how, despite the principled benevolence of CSR and Stakeholder Theory, these fail to integrate cultural visions that are not capitalist and anthropocentric. In this context, a critical analysis based on the sociology of translation is proposed to consider each actor world ontology of the world, which entails taking into account different cosmogonies with their respective axiological frameworks and recognition of non-human entities.

This paper highlights the importance of communication management between actors and the use of a cooperative process, identifying spokespersons who act as translators to facilitate the convergence of interests. Through the analysis of the Conga case, communication limits between the socioeconomic thinking of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Andean cosmovision become evident. This clash hinders the development of a cooperation network due to the lack of intercultural understanding and the difficulty to value the opinions of the stakeholders. The importance of communication management that is able to integrate worldviews and axiologies outside the modern and capitalist rationality of CSR is therefore underlined.