Abstract
Abstract. Offshore outsourcing (OO) of business activities from North to South does not only relocate investments and jobs, it has also brought about new business demands on suppliers activities and their social and environmental impact. The objectives of the study are firstly, to explore whether offshore outsourcing (OO) activities of Malaysian firms (herein refers to as contracting firms) matter in corporate social responsibility practices, and secondly, to examine whether government policy and support matters in the CSR practices of the contracting firms. The focus is on Malaysian based local or foreign vendors, contract manufacturers or subcontractors in the electrical and electronics industry. The findings of the study indicate, firstly, that the level of CSR practices is positively influenced by the degree of OO activities. In addition, the study also concludes that other firms’ attributes, namely the size of the company’s workforce and degree of foreign ownership have a significant impact on the firms’ CSR practices, while no apparent relationship is found with firms’ profitability and leverage. Secondly, that the government plays an important role shaping the perception, rhetoric and organisation of CSR activities by firms; nevertheless, most contracting firms do not recognize any support for CSR upgrading from the government or local institutions.
