Abstract:
The overall research objective of this thesis is to identify the prominent features of CSR practices
and the pattern of growth of CSR engagement as expected by Carroll (2000) at the beginning of
the 'new millennium'. Sixteen companies were selected as the sample for the content analysis
and data were collected for a 5-year period covering 201112012 to 2015/2016. The annual reports
of the sample were considered as the data source. The contents of annual reports of those
companies were fully analysed for five years. Both qualitative and quantitative data on the CSR
reporting were collected from those integrated annual reports. A content analysis focusing on the
number of pages, number of words used, number of images shown, number of tables used, and
number of charts/figures used was carried out. These annual data were used to uncover the trend
in CSR disclosure over the 5 years. The trend was identified quantitatively (number-wise) and
qualitatively.Although the analysis showed a quantitative progress in CSR reporting, it also
found that many irrelevant: images, tables, and charts were used in annual reports. Many images
in the reports included politicians, linking them with company activities. Carroll (2015) expects a
rapid growth in CSR in developing economies. It seems that underlying qualitative progress in
CSR reporting is at a low level, when compared with the quantitative progress reported. This is
not what Carroll (2000) expected at the beginning of "the new millennium" the 21 st century.
