Breaking the Sisyphean Curse: Reshaping Stakeholder Corporate Social Responsibility for a Better Tomorrow ()
“Building the kind of country we yearn for, one that is committed to progress and dignity, is possible only with the participation of all Moroccans, men and women alike, in the development process.”
HM King Mohammed VI, 30 July 2022
1. Introduction
While there are several issues that need to be addressed in relation to the research topic, we chose to focus on those that are vital for the development of local production systems and relevant to the evolution of current modes of territorial governance. Given the number of actors involved in territorial development, it was crucial to think upstream of the governance of all territorial projects. The target populations for this research are rural youth and women, aspiring entrepreneurs, and SMEs.
There is also another crucial element we would like to discuss: a major inspiration behind this paper. We started compiling the result of our research around December 2022, when the world was captivated by the World Cup and the Atlas Lion’s outstanding performance. A phrase kept coming up: “Dir Niya”, have faith, often repeated by the team’s coach. Everyone was amazed at what these simple words could achieve. This made us smile as we, as part of OCP, were already familiar with having faith and taking pride—“Nefs”—in what we do.
Faith & pride are the two principles that have shaped the vision of OCP’s CEO, Dr Mostapha Terrab. They were the principles he relied on to motivate people and transform OCP into the leading African champion it is today. These same values were the reason we chose to talk about what OCP does in terms of CSR, as this could not only inspire other national actors to emulate its actions to benefit the people of Morocco, but it could also be a great lesson to companies and people from around the world. And so it is with great Faith & Pride, as well as gratitude to Dr Terrab for creating such a nurturing environment for all the people at OCP that we share our findings and look forward to the next chapters.
Companies were invited to participate in the Sustainability Dialogue when it started taking place in the noughties. The objective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was to complement the economic actions of businesses and governments alike with social, cultural, and sports actions. The question today is to see whether this CSR model is still effective in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, which its various political, social, economic, and environmental upheavals.
Morocco has significant economic and human potential that has yet to be unlocked and fulfilled. The country still has a rather high unemployment rate amongst its youth (16.2% on average) and a weak economic base that offers few economic prospects, thus reinforcing the country’s dependence on OCP Group1, a national public MNE. Despite the spectacular flourishing of the country’s automotive sector, the economy remains vulnerable to imports of oil, gas, grains, and industrial components. Entrepreneurs still struggle to secure contracts and clients. Therefore, support and funding for youth-led initiatives are vital in this context.
This research project was conducted and completed through the combination of three methods: a study of the environment that favored the emergence of CSR in a context of global value chains led by MNEs (bibliographic review), an analysis of the opportunities and threats that weigh on the CSR model in Morocco (through the study of the relationship between the company and its stakeholders); and the design of a CSR transition model based on stakeholders and social innovation.
This paper aims to provide a territorial diagnosis of the region of Khouribga aiming to define a new strategy to integrate local stakeholders into the process of territorial development. It was based on a threefold approach:
1) Territorial diagnosis.
2) Analysis of stakeholder expectations and needs.
3) Definition of a participatory framework in which youth and stakeholders will be invited to take part in the definition of sustainable development objectives and in the decision-making process.
We conducted a SWOT analysis in the first part to examine the production and governance relationships among all territory stakeholders, which we concluded with a stakeholders’ mapping and the identification of all interactions and impacts.
We explored data from surveys and field visits in the second part, to get a better understanding of the expectations of stakeholders and the concerns of local communities.
The third part presents a comparative analysis of all existing offers directed toward youth and “stakeholders” in the territory of Khouribga.
We conclude the research with recommendations for a stakeholders’ integration strategy into the Global Value Chain and territorial development. We also discuss the relationship between multinationals’ CSR and territorial development, focusing on human and social impact.
2. CSR in Global Value Chains: Tensions between Social Integration and Costly Domination
2.1. Global Value Chains Philosophy
A global value chain fragments production among several key actors and territories ( Jones & Kierskowski, 2001 ). Each actor specializes in a specific activity, with the shared objective of creating final added value through intermediate added value ( Gereffi & Fernandez-Stark, 2016 ). Global value chains are driven by MNEs as the cores around which layers of suppliers of different tiers, as well as the entire chain of subcontractors required to achieve the final product, are assembled ( Gereffi et al., 2005 ; Bair, 2005 ; Bair & Palpacuer, 2015 ; Ryan P. et al., 2022 , Kano et al., 2020 ). These good practices (innovation & cooperation: Mudambi et al., 2008 ; Strange & Magnan, 2018 ) and key territories are being networked globally in a context of advanced globalization and digitalization ( Hudson, 2004 ; Coe et al., 2008 ; Anner, 2015 ; Hammer & Plugor, 2019 ; Coe & Yeung, 2019 ).
However, GVCs face tremendous change as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and shortages in value chains. In addition to these external shocks, GVCs must face two internal mechanisms. The first is the ambition for multinationals to reorganize their operations in a more regional manner. The second is the attempts of many countries to produce and capture greater value added through their efforts to train people and develop ESG-based solutions ( Amachraa & Quelin, 2022 ).
Biden’s administration published, back in 2021, a report on “Building Resilient Supply Chain, Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad Growth”2, which identified five vulnerabilities in global value chains that accelerate their reconfiguration: semiconductors, batteries, rare earths, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and large-scale utilities. Its authors, as well as those behind the McKinsey Global Institute’s report “Risk, Resilience, and Rebalancing in GVCs”3 suggested a series of measures and solutions, such as:
´ Relocation of production,
´ Diversification of suppliers,
´ Establishment of strategic stocks,
´ Risk management and adaptation capacities,
´ Redundancy of transportation networks,
´ Reduction of product complexity
Countries and MNEs involved in the development of GVCs have therefore begun processes of specialization, decoupling, and/or relocation ( Kowalski et al., 2015 ; Baldwin & Tomiura, 2020 ; Shih, 2020 ; Gereffi et al., 2022 ), with ESG targets because even MNEs are targeted for their social and environmental impact ( UNCTAD, 2013 ; Bair & Palpacuer, 2015 ; International Labor Organization, 2016 ; Kano et al., 2020 ; Ashwin et al., 2020 ; Gereffi et al., 2022 ; Phillips et al., 2022 ; Kano et al., 2022 ).
However, these actions have led to a severe criticism of GVCs ( IMF, 2022 ), as there appeared to be an imbalance in value sharing between contractors and suppliers of the same GVC ( Mudambi et al., 2008 ; Porter & Kramer, 2011 ; Meng et al., 2020 ) and a paradox between “market” economic efficiency and “society” vulnerabilities ( Strange & Humphrey, 2019 ; Kano et al., 2022 ).
2.2. Corporate Social Responsibility & Stakeholders Theory: Emergence and Evolution
The debate on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dates back to the 1970s, with the theory of shareholders ( Friedman, 1970 ). According to the author, “there is only one corporate social responsibility, and that is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase profits for shareholders, as long as the company remains within the rules of the game, that is, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud”. Fredman then introduced “stakeholder theory” by referring to the need for a company to manage relationships with specific stakeholders in an action-oriented manner. “A stakeholder in an organization is any group or individual who may affect or be affected by the achievement of the organization’s goals” ( Fredman, 1994 ; Friedman et al., 2005 ). In this context, a stakeholder must be legitimate, empowered, and embody a certain urgency ( Mitchell et al., 1997 ).
In the 1990s, CSR was seen as the reconciliation between the interests of the company and the general interest. Later, in the 2000s, companies publicly invited themselves to the debate on sustainable development. However, they were increasingly facing pressure from shareholders, employees, consumers, civil society, and the regulatory framework.
As a result, the concept of “social responsibility” emerged, based on the right of these various stakeholders to be scrutinized and expressed in terms of transparency, risk, and reputation. According to Visser (2011) , firms tend to go through five stages, although they may have activities in several stages at once. The greed phase is characterized by limited defensive actions while protecting shareholder value. The philanthropy phase is about helping communities through charitable actions. Then, companies take a more promotional and marketing approach by using CSR to improve their image and public relations. The period of risk management begins when companies decide to adhere to CSR codes and implement social and environmental management systems in their core activities. Finally, companies enter a new period of responsibility based on innovation in operating models, revolutionizing processes, products, and services, and lobbying for progressive national and international policies ( Visser, 2011 ). The aim is to address the root causes of unsustainability and irresponsibility. Thus, CSR could comprise four essential components:
´ Value creation
´ Good governance
´ Social contribution
´ Environmental integrity
However, CSR aims to complete the economic actions of companies with complementary social, environmental, cultural, and sporting actions. “These are essentially selective and compartmentalized “programs”, rather than holistic and systemic changes” ( Hollender & Breen, 2010 ). CSR has neither the capacity nor the obligation to solve complex social, environmental, and ethical problems. But then, unless CSR is really aimed at solving these issues and reversing negative trends, what would be its point?
The concept of “Creating Shared Value” (CSV) appeared out of a series of Harvard Business Review articles written by Porter and Kramer. This work, which focused explicitly on the non-profit sector, quickly expanded to explore how corporate philanthropy can create social and economic value. In 2006, they evolved into how to integrate CSR into core business strategy, and the term “shared value” was coined for the first time. Shared value proposes to transform business-relevant social issues into business opportunities, thereby contributing to solving critical societal challenges while generating greater profitability. Within this framework, three ways to create shared value have been established:
´ Redefining products and markets by responding to social problems where consumers can be served and contribute to the common good.
´ Redefining productivity in the value chain by simultaneously improving the social, environmental, and economic capacities of supply chain stakeholders.
´ Enabling the development of local clusters so that various development goals can be achieved in cooperation with local providers and institutions ( Porter & Kramer, 2011 ).
Beyond its impact, CSV has clear strengths, one of which is the unequivocal elevation of social objectives to a strategic level. They also take a significant step forward in understanding the role of governments in corporate social initiatives, articulating a clear objective through the co-construction of a regulatory framework that enhances shared value, sets goals, and drives innovation.
This concept was presented as a great idea, but it is indeed a narrower reading of the literature of existing concepts such as CSR, stakeholder theory, social dialogue, and social innovation. Indeed, CSV ignores the tensions between social and economic objectives. The great difficulty is to maintain both social and financial objectives, which has been ignored in the articles of Porter and Kramer ( Crane, Palazzo, & Matten, 2014 ). Therefore, what Reich criticized about CSR in general might be true for CSV, i.e., instead of promoting the common good, CSV could promote more sophisticated “greenwashing” or “social washing” strategies.
The concept of creating shared value is also company-centric: companies can turn some of their social and environmental problems into win-win solutions. However, they would need a thriving community, not only to create demand for their products but also to provide essential public goods as well as an enabling environment to ensure maximum well-being with the right use of resources. For its part, communities need thriving businesses to provide jobs and wealth creation opportunities for their citizens.
Another way of transforming value chains at territorial levels is through “inclusive economy” models, which refer to the harmonious participation of stakeholders in the economic life of a value chain ( Prahalad & Hart, 2002 ; Elkington, 2018 ; Yunus et al., 2015 ). This involves an exchange between the governance structure of the value chain and its various stakeholders. Thus, a firm or stakeholder should be considered economically inclusive if it is able to actively contribute (i.e., “give”) to the economy and, in return, benefit from the value created by economic activity (i.e., “receive” something in return)4. In this case, “an inclusive enterprise” is a form of enterprise that explicitly states that its objective is to foster the economic inclusion of actors who are ordinarily excluded from participating in national economies and firms.
Value chains can contribute through three interrelated levers: by facilitating access to decent work (especially for unemployed youth and women), fairly remunerated and stable enough to allow for personal life planning; by providing access to goods and services that are either of vital importance or essential in the current social context; and, by providing access to finance, thereby accelerating integration and economic autonomy as it facilitates access to either of the two levers mentioned above.
2.3. Global Value Chains, CSR and Territorial Development
A territory is a complex and multidimensional concept. It is not only a geographical space of projects but also one of dynamic production systems and governance relationships among different stakeholders. Thus, the territory is built over the long term and is developed through interactions and close connections between internal and external actors ( Torre, 2019 ). It is the result of a long history and concerns rooted in local cultures and customs, the expression of the present, and conditions for its future. A territory is also a feeling of belonging, modes of public authority, and specific rules of organization and function ( Moine, 2007 ; Torre & Zimmerman, 2015 ).
Territorial development is closely linked to the notion of localized production systems, referring to industrial districts ( Marshall, 1919 ) or clusters ( Porter, 1985 ). An industrial district is a collection of small and medium-sized businesses that are all located in the same geographical area but are capable of creating a competitive advantage on a global scale. Industrial districts are characterized by a high degree of social proximity among their members, often sharing similar cultures and values. They develop local content at a low technological level but remain focused on relationships and formal exchanges in which the production of knowledge is essential to territorial development ( Camagni & Maillat, 2006 ).
In 1985, Porter popularized the concept of the “cluster”, which encompasses a group of companies and laboratories working in similar industries in the same geographical area, whose interactions related to know-how and technology allow them to increase their performance, competitiveness, and innovation. Other research focused on business ecosystems, which are networks of companies based on co-evolution and cooperation ( Brandenburger & Nateberff, 1996 ). These ecosystems bring together a variety of actors (such as companies, labs, centers, etc.). Let’s not forget the new local spaces for collaborative innovation such as fab labs, makerspaces, coworking spaces, incubators, living labs, accelerators, etc. In general, these platforms offer young entrepreneurs mentoring, innovative solutions, as well as funding and networks.
Another dimension of territorial development analysis relates to the notion of governance. It refers to the process of coordination among different actors, with different resources, who come together around issues with regards to their territory and contribute, with the help of appropriate tools and structures, to the development of common territorial development projects ( Torre & Traversac, 2011 ). Thus, good governance must emerge from the bottom up, help achieve collective objectives, and facilitate citizen participation in decision-making. In this context, governance applies to:
´ Economic and social actors who wish to collaborate and exchange their expertise to generate territorial innovation ( Kooiman, 2000 ).
´ Public-private partnerships (PPP) are defined through the definition of territorial development objectives ( Wettenhall, 2003 ).
´ The participation of various organizations (companies, NGOs, associations, cooperatives, etc.) in the development of laws, rules, and regulations ( Pierre, 2000 ).
Based on production and governance reports, the economic performance of territories depends on the contributions made by the achievements of its various production sectors, which shifts the question of the competitiveness of companies to that of the territories. Accordingly, the performance of territories and the dynamics of development depend on the ability of local actors to set up productions that differentiate them from competitors, either through the specificity of the product itself, through the specificity of the quality and the production process, or through an innovation driver. The models of local productive systems represent a manifestation of the links among companies and territories.
Three economists have shaped the question of the entrepreneur. Richard Cantillon (1680-1735) defined the entrepreneur as a person who takes risks in an uncertain market. According to this author, the entrepreneur is a “catalyst for production and trade”. A century later, Jean Baptiste Say (1767-1832) developed the theory of the “entrepreneur’s profession” and was able to define the entrepreneur as the link between knowledge and industry. For the economist Joseph Alois Schumpeter ( Uzunidis & Boutillier, 2015 ), the entrepreneur is an economic agent who creates “new combinations of production factors” that is “investment opportunities”. Schumpter is known for his concept of “creative destruction of innovation”, according to which an entrepreneur is a person who innovates, loves the game, and assumes the risk. This concept also finds its meaning in the various publications of Harvard Business School: it is now a process that allows an individual to create a new organization and innovate in the face of uncertainties.
The entrepreneur seeks to exploit opportunities with financial resources that he does not have. He seeks to profit by obtaining markets. It ultimately depends on customers and consumers (Ludwing von Mises, 1881-1973). According to Israel Kirzner, opportunities arise from imbalance. In this context, the entrepreneur does not seek the opportunity but rather discovers the information and exploits the ignorance of the public. Kizner developed the concept of “entrepreneurial vigilance”, i.e., entrepreneurs’ ability to organize information intuitively. In addition, Filion L. J. (1997) defined entrepreneurship as “the field that studies the practice of entrepreneurs, their activities, their characteristics, the economic and social effects of their behavior, as well as the modes of support provided to them to facilitate the realization of entrepreneurial activities”.
Other recent research looks at the concept of entrepreneurial behavior, i.e., the entrepreneur himself, his ideas, his capacity, his actions, his emotions, his values, his skills, and the logic of his action: the theory of entrepreneurial characteristics ( McStay, D., 2008 ); entrepreneurial intention-based models such as Shapero and Sokol (1982) and Ajzen (1991) models; entrepreneurial capacity to exploit business and social opportunities ( Bygrave & Minniti, 2000 ); and cognitive mechanisms of entrepreneurs’ thinking ( Mitchell et al., 2007 ). In the 1970s, McClelland introduced the notions of success and role models. According to him, success stories inspire the public, show the way, and make you want to undertake more than school.
Many other researchers and entrepreneurs, on the other hand, see entrepreneurship as first and foremost a mindset and entrepreneurial behavior to change and innovate. The entrepreneur is above all a social being and therefore a committed person. This research is particularly interested in the experience and values of the entrepreneur, support, and funding mechanisms, as well as the connection between entrepreneurship and territorial development.
As a conclusion to this chapter, the positive interactions between MNEs and territorial development would include:
´ The anchoring of MNEs at the territorial level and the way it can favor the development of territories by creating added value and mobilizing specific non-transferable resources.
´ CSR questions the responsibility of the company with regards to the territory.
´ A territory that offers resources and know-how, financing possibilities, and connections between actors could help the development of entrepreneurship.
´ The geographical concentration of MNEs helps the development of entrepreneurship and the emergence of a network of local suppliers.
´ The coordination of actors and the existence of conditions conducive to the dissemination of knowledge.
For example, multinationals are developing public-private partnerships with governments, with local integration and employment objectives. These multinationals are engaging in processes to increase the volume of their purchases at the national level. The objective is to help local actors structure themselves, sustain their activity, and create quality jobs in the area where these MNEs are located. Thus, MNEs will allocate a specific budget to small local companies and set up processes adapted to the needs of local suppliers and small/very small companies around the industrial sites.
2.4. Contributions and Limitations of the Literature on GVCs: Tensions between Profitable Integration and Costly Domination
The economic performance of the Global Value Chain will depend on its various activities and functions. These contribute to this performance, which shifts the issue of the competitiveness of companies to the efficiency of value chains. These develop a global capacity to fragment production and coordinate it in a country’s offer. As a result, the performance of GVC and the dynamics of development depend on the ability of foreign and local actors (suppliers and subcontractors) to offer innovative services to multinational firms and to set up productions that differentiate them from competitors, either through the specificity of the intermediate good itself, or through the specificity of quality and/or through innovative design processes, production, marketing, and development.
In global economics, the popularity of the GVC concept is marked by the fragmentation of global production among several countries and companies. Thus, more and more countries are getting involved in GVC integration policies.
In these policies, the trend towards developing more integrated global groups and deep local integration is confirmed through a dynamic of mergers of companies and positioning of SMEs as service providers and sources of innovation proposals to GVC. This trend has fostered the global networking of multinationals, suppliers, and SMEs. In this perspective, clusters or technological innovation centers have become privileged tools of MNEs to promote adaptation, R&D, and innovation. The theoretical debate allows us to begin the analysis of the integration of the Moroccan economy into the Global Value Chains, where we are strongly interested in the competitiveness of GVC in Morocco, their adaptation, and the implementation of innovation to create integrative clusters.
In the context of globalization, multinational firms, which coordinate the activities and tasks of GVCs, are mainly targeted for their social, governance, and environmental impact. Economists and civil society note that these business networks create significant negative externalities in both social and environmental. Firms have therefore started a social turn and a green turn. However, these actions are now often considered social washing and greenwashing, leading to an intense criticism of the communication operations of multinational firms. There are massive contradictions between the CSR practices and policies of firms and their behaviors and strategies that led to the rise of mistrust and injustice feelings among various stakeholders of GVC: negative perception of GVC, high demand for jobs and integration of local SMEs, the difficulty of dialogue and communication with stakeholders, the low added value captured by developing countries, non-compliance with standards of rehousing of local populations, and environmental nuisances, etc. are among the biggest challenges.
As a result, CSR has become the main field of the struggle of actors to improve the private governance of GVC. For governance, several specialists suggested that actors, including social actors, find ways to take advantage of CSR and force change to change the business models of value chains towards models that allow the sustainability of activities and the active participation of all the driving forces of value chains. However, Gereffi and Meyer’s analyses demonstrate how leading companies have managed to shape the field where this struggle is taking place, mobilizing CSR to control risk and maintain control along the value chain CSR strives to absorb and disseminate social protest and political conflicts in this perspective.
In this complex and multidimensional integration process, there is no ready-made recipe for success. Still, good practices observed and reflections that should generate debate, it should not be imagined that Morocco’s participation in Global Value Chains will be what has been achieved in other Asian countries. Cultures are not the same, nor are ecosystems, resources, technologies, price structures, price structures, markets, etc. On the other hand, Morocco must have its own place by its environment and its African ambition.
In a country like Morocco, favoring employment and projects with a human dimension appears to be the best way, which does not exclude the use of new technologies and participation in sophisticated value chains. The gap between international and local actors should also be reduced. Local actors are poorly mobilized and have little capacity and impact along the value chain. GVC subcontractors have little ambition and fail to offer services or innovations to different industries. Sophisticated value chains are therefore not integrated, and markets are very short-term.
3. Impact of Global Value Chains on Khouribga Territories
3.1. OCP Adventures in CSR
MNE Actions and Territorial Development
OCP Group is a major player in the territorial development of Khouribga. It bases its territorial action on industrial operations on the one hand, and social responsibility on the other, with social responsibility being a key driver for its territorial performance. The industrial activities of this MNE cover three provinces: Khouribga, Beni Mellal, and Fqih Bensaleh. These territories include 16 municipalities and bring together about 120.000 families (Figure 1).
The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region’s economy5 is based primarily on industry (Khouribga), agriculture (Beni Mellal & Fqih Bensaleh), and ecotourism (Azilal and Khenifra). The presence of structuring and infrastructure projects (Green Mine, the “1337 Coding School”, Agropole, Fertiparc, Geopark, highways, & railways) represents a significant regional investment (60% of the population is
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Source: Haut Commissariat au Plan—hcp.ma.
Figure 1. Map of the Khouribga and its neighboring territories.
under 35 years old). Let’s not forget immigration to Europe; Moroccans living abroad contribute substantially to the economic dynamics of the region through capital transfers and investments in important sectors in the area, such as real estate and services.
Since 2012, OCP group has embarked on a vast integrated investment program of CSR and development aid for the territory of Khouribga, which involves over 300 hecatres, through rural roads, youth centers, socio-educational centers, coding schools, libraries, health centers, an amusement and environmental park, leisure facilities, sports, and real estate all integrated into a tourist circuit, including the Khouribga mining museum.
Over the period 2012-2017, OCP Group’s contribution to the development of the Beni Mellal-Khenifra Region exceeded 2 billion dirhams, which were apportioned as follows:
´ 41.3% to develop basic infrastructure.
´ 20.7% for economic integration.
´ 38% to support the socio-cultural sectors (sports, health, education, and culture).
Nevertheless, the region remains marked by a high unemployment rate (24% in comparison to 16.2% in average) and a weak economic fabric, reinforcing the region’s dependence and reliance on OCP6.
The territory of Khouribga is facing the same classic issues of a mining city:
´ A concentration of local actors on the mine and the MNE.
´ A domestic economy offering very few economic prospects in terms of jobs7.
´ An embryonic economic fabric, unable to create any added value.
The region is also experiencing a rapid demographic dynamic. Its population in 2014 was around 193.372 inhabitants, compared to 166.397 in 2004. However, Khouribga remains marked by a very high unemployment rate: 26.7% in 2014 with a very strong gender difference with 20.8% for men and 45.1% for women. It also shows a low net activity rate for men, at 69.4% against 75% on average, and an even lower rate for women barely reaching 20.4%8.
The unemployment rate and the activity rate are higher than the national urban average, indicating two facts: the residents of Khouribga are willing to join the labor market, yet they cannot find a job. This phenomenon is explained by the weakness of the private sector, which only employs 34.9% of the active population, compared to 52.3% in the other cities of the kingdom9.
Consequently, public employment is over-represented, with 26.3% of the employed population compared to 10.2% on average elsewhere. The region’s dynamics are linked to the dynamics of the MNE, which is experiencing significant productivity gains, resulting in low job creation on the site of Khouribga while the city is experiencing strong demographic growth.
Entrepreneurship is a social choice by default10. Residents, particularly youth and women in rural areas, start an independent activity due to the lack of alternatives. Even with these living conditions, many young people hesitate to leave the city to go to work in Casablanca or Tangier. Their ambition is to secure a higher revenue (450 dollars per month) to cover the cost of living, especially the added cost of rent. Young people denounce the injustice created by these constraints and, as an alternative solution, aim to secure jobs at MNEs. Subcontracting projects are also very limited due to financial issues.
Porter’s concept of CSR aims to transform business-relevant social issues into business opportunities, in an attempt to help solve society’s major challenges, while generating greater profitability for business. OCP Group adheres to this approach and has successfully completed the stage of redefining and developing new products and markets along its global value chain. The business transformation process has improved its economic, social, and environmental adaptability and the integration of a growing number of stakeholders around the table.
It is necessary to maintain constructive efforts down this path, with new strategic linkages at the national and local level to integrate agricultural inputs, supply chains, and rare metals. The last step would be achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the territories, through the establishment of new localized and innovative production sites, allowing small local entrepreneurs to manufacture parts and components and offer service innovations to MNEs.
3.2. Risks and Opportunities
The successful outcomes of the Skills Center11 in its first years of implementation and the deep interest in identifying the needs of the populations of the province were behind the territorial diagnosis that was carried out in 2017 and 2018. The diagnosis covered numerous disadvantaged neighborhoods in the city of Khouribga and the rural municipalities of the province.
The targeted municipalities were: Hattane, Bir Mezoui, M’fassis, Bni Smir, Oulad Azouz, El Foqra, Boujniba, Boulanouare, and Oulad Abdoune. This diagnostic highlights several opportunities and strengths that youth integration policies should capitalize on as well as the various threats and weaknesses that could ruin the Skills Center’s work should they not be carefully taken into consideration.
Opportunities and strengths identified can be divided into several categories. As a result, in terms of infrastructure, some municipalities have technical and agricultural training centers, social infrastructures established by the OCP (clubs). These infrastructures were built to receive residents for training sessions, artistic and cultural activities, as well as institutional partners willing to implement territorial development projects.
The emergence of a new generation of influencers who believe in action and initiative, a high capacity for mobilization among women, and the financial commitment of families (particularly immigrants) in assisting their loved ones to launch their own projects are all indicators of human capital.
The study also reveals that associative and cooperative networks play an important role in some of the province’s municipalities. It also highlights the possibility of exploiting local resources such as cacti, local products as well as geological discoveries, all of which can help create value. It is vital to note that a relationship of trust has been established vis-à-vis the KSC and the services it offers.
The threats and weaknesses facing the region are linked particularly to the high rate of unemployment among youth and women (whether skilled or unskilled), the limited purchasing power of a large portion of the population, and the lack of diversification in the projects initiated in the region.
These negative elements are also linked to difficult natural conditions, a large influx of rural migrants, the return of many immigrants due to the crisis facing Europe and other issues such as beggary, drug use, and school dropout.
Other factors increase the vulnerability of this population, like the geographical scattering of residences in some municipalities, the unequal distribution and use of infrastructure, and Khouribga dependence on infrastructure and commercial activities.
In addition, there are several dysfunctions related to training structures, in particular:
´ Remote higher education
´ Inadequate curricula to the nature and needs of the region
´ Insufficient vocational training for women
´ Very low level of education of some social categories
´ Delayed implementation of certain support projects, such as Dar Taliba, a, launched five years ago but not yet completed (commune of Boujniba)
It should also be noted that some municipalities suffer from a shortage of artistic, cultural, and sports entertainment spaces, as well as services capable of integrating and empowering pensioners. Furthermore, there is a shortage— sometimes an absence—of training programs offered by KSC in municipalities such as Bir Mzoui, Bni Smir, El Foqra, and Oulad Abdoune. This is usually due to the lack of information about the KSC.
The SWOT table below is the result of a consultation workshop of local and non-local stakeholders organized by the Skills Center in March 2018. Today, the constraints outweigh the potential, but the opportunities are tangible due to the action of OCP, the National Human Development Initiative, and the growing dynamic carried by youth and women in the social and solidarity economy (Table 1).
3.3. Sisyphus CSR with Stakeholders Needs
3.3.1. CSR Materiality Matrix
The objective of the analysis of the weight of the actor’s involvement is to assess the balance of power among the stakeholders as well as the impacts in relation to the social action of OCP Group (Table 2).
From the actors’ mapping and the actions carried out in the field, we were able to build an integrated matrix of impact and interdependencies, as shown in the table below:
The matrix of interactions reveals that:
´ OCP Group, the INDH, and some local and international NGOs are long-standing players in this territory. Most of these NGOs are opportunity sensors with very little impact.
´ Local actors are barely mobilized.
´ The actors involved in supporting the creation of activities (public authorities and associations) have few resources and little impact.
´ OCP subcontractors have little ambition, value chains are not integrated, and markets are very short-term12.
´ Pensioners remain on site with housing and social security coverage but have little societal involvement.
´ Newcomers to the territory are represented by network movements.
3.3.2. Stakeholders’ Needs and Expectations Analysis
It was appropriate to collect the opinion from young people directly for the following reasons:
´ Assess their perception of the impacts of the Skills Center.
´ Evaluate their entrepreneurial and change capacity13.
´ Invite them to an introductory reflection on the co-construction of programs and the implementation of innovation from below.
The survey, conducted in 2017 and updated in 2018, covered the urban municipality of Khouribga and nine other rural municipalities. Particular attention was paid to youth and women from the ten municipalities targeted by the study. The following points summarize the main details of the survey as well as its associated activities:
´ 678 young people were surveyed.
´ 24 focus groups were hosted at the KSC, with thirty field visits & workshops conducted in 2017 & 2018.
´ 52 representatives of associations and cooperatives.
While this survey showed that elements such as territory planning, agricultural land, social infrastructure, availability and quality of products and services, well-being, sustainable development, the environment, and human rights are increasingly taken into consideration by youth and residents of Khouribga in their
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Table 1. SWOT analysis of Khouribga territory.
Source: authors’ own.
Source: authors’ own (co-construction—workshop with CSR stakeholders). 1National initiative for human development. https://www.maroc.ma/fr/content/indh; 2Regional Investment Center. https://coeurdumaroc.ma/cri/public/; 3Office of Professional Training and Labor Promotion. https://www.ofppt.ma/en; 4Examples: AMIDEAST, Enactus, New Work Lab, Réseau Entreprendre Maroc, Izdihar, Station A, 1337, Fondation Zagora, USAID, international ONG, etc.
vision of future territorial development, their interest in these matters remains closely linked social and economic problems faced on a daily basis, including unemployment, unfavorable markets, a lack of hospitals, a shortage of water, a lack of social security coverage, etc.
These factors have definitely been a major influence on women and young people in rural areas, as they have very limited means and feel marginalized. Moreover, analyzing the data obtained through this survey data further confirmed that economic difficulties and an unfavorable territorial environment are the two major constraints facing young people in Khouribga.
Different components were analyzed to understand the expectations of young people: mindset, skills, markets, financing, mentoring, and territorial environment14,15. The young people polled all agreed on the following critical expectations (Tables 3-9).
As a result, we face some important challenges: How do we improve communication and highlight Khouribga work on entrepreneurship and innovation? How do I highlight the territory and its inhabitants? How can we improve the way we communicate our actions? How can coordination be improved?16
3.4. Development Options Tailored for Local Community Assets
Khouribga Skills Center was established on the same location as the former OCP Executive Training Center, which burned down in 2011. Its opening in 2014 was marked by a wave of protests and blockades. Since January 2015, the Center has launched two programs: entrepreneurship and employability. The specific pedagogical strategies used made hosting young people possible, and gradually created a favorable atmosphere in a rather tense context. It has mobilized a set of partners, now grouped in a stakeholder platform that creates institutional and organizational synergies.
On the other hand, the center underutilizes its exceptional infrastructure and does not provide yet all possible trainings. Attendants can choose from a wide range of opportunities, depending on their target audience and goals.
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018)17.
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018).
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018).
In this work, four offers tailored for Khouribga’s youth are analyzed, in addition to the Skill Center’s catalogue:
´ Professional training
´ Entrepreneurship programs
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018).
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018).
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Table 8. Territorial environment analysis.
Source: Focus Group & Co-construction with Stakeholders and Partners (2017 and 2018).
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Table 9. Comparative analysis of youth integration models in Khouribga territory.
Source: authors’ own.
´ New innovation and collaboration sites
´ Socio-economic and educational centers.
The purpose of this analysis is to highlight the elements the Skills Center should refocus on, such as its core business and pedagogical engineering, so as to be part of a coherent territorial network along other stakeholders.
There are five challenges to overcome to insure value-added services. The major challenge is to stay as close as possible to young people, their needs and worries to be able to respond to other challenges in the ecosystem. Another crucial condition is to involve the too often forgotten and marginalized youth with no significant education, to make sure we do not have to face, yet again, past mistakes and failures (Table 10).
Options for optimizing territorial development
To make sure we meet the new expectations of young people and entrepreneurs, it is imperative to tackle new challenges that arise in terms of territorial development as well entrepreneurial promotion:
1) Ensuring offers are more accessible to people: Highly scattered rural municipalities mean their population have to not only deal with difficult, impractical journeys and a significant lack of information, but also with the resulting slowed actions of local centers.
Some of the actions that could help alleviate these struggles are:
´ Designate & train ambassadors of local centers among young influencers in the targeted municipalities.
´ Develop a local communication strategy.
´ Explore decentralizing part of the activities from center to remote municipalities through intermediates.
´ Bring the services of the centers closer to the residents.
´ Strengthen the intermediary associations technically in relation to their new roles.
´ Reposition and revitalize the existing infrastructure, especially INDH structures.
2) Building local and sustainable value chains: When maximizing the chances of success of any project, the environment must imperatively be taken into account. In addition, realities on the ground in the municipalities of Khouribga must inspire feasible & sustainable projects.
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Table 10. Key challenges of integrating youth into the territorial development process.
Source: authors’ own.
Measures that could facilitate this process include:
´ Involving agricultural qualification centers as a key partner, especially for IGA and cooperative programs.
´ Creating high potential technical training programs.
´ Developing markets—souks—as centers of economic dynamics.
´ Undertaking a comprehensive study of the cactus valuation unit.
´ Using cooperative to develop the value chain of traditional local carpets.
´ Creating flagship projects in different sectors, including catering and animation.
´ Offering substitutes for people who have lost their primary occupations.
´ Creating new opportunities such as the enhancement of mining heritage (valuing fossils in Beni Smir for instance) or the development of historical and/or scientific tourism.
´ Establishing self-entrepreneurship centers.
We must also think about major initiatives, such as the rehabilitation of land and the valorization of products. Agrophotovoltaics—which is the joint development of the same land parcels for solar photovoltaic and agriculture—are also an excellent mean to improve the food and energy security of the territory.
3) Capitalizing on youth and seniors: Human capital in the territory is a real asset on which we should capitalize to develop innovative solutions specifically tailored to embrace specific territorial realities. Young adults, pensioners, immigrants, and women are all key actors capable of enacting changes from respective positions.
Some of these solutions involve:
´ Creating income-generation projects that would harness young adults’ potential to benefit senior citizens (medical care, personal assistance services, etc.).
´ Promoting pensioners’ expertise through mentoring programs.
´ Capitalizing on the experience of former immigrants to develop new projects.
´ Developing entertainment activities for pensioners.
Bottom-up governance
The Skills Center’s governance was built on a sustained, participatory model, based on two guiding principles:
´ Its management by & for young people, with free access to all its services. This “community culture” is vital to nurture a climate of trust, essential to creating opportunities.
´ The permanent involvement of highly trained & mobilized mentors in its programs.
The Skills Center has gradually established strong relationships with all public and private actors involved in employability and entrepreneurship. These actors include public institutions such as OFPPT, ANAPEC, CCIS, and CRI, as well as associative structures such as ENACTUS, Réseau Entreprendre Maroc, and local associations. Many were set close to the Center’s premises, making mentorship opportunities easily accessible for young adults.
This setup leads to an increased efficiency of the system, which in turn ensures a good flow of information and a greater collaboration between the different stakeholders. This dynamic is reinforced by regular group thematic workshops to discuss the progress of projects and decide upon specific trainings for managers.
Gradually, a new collective culture is being established, which is gradually strengthening collaborative dynamics through improved inter-knowledge among stakeholders and shared common goals which are in turn translated into a clear action plan. Beneficiaries often access the shared service facility. They are able to reach out to any of the stakeholders, sometimes by stepping into the first office they encounter. Once the beneficiary has reached out to one of the stakeholders, the latter plays a role of advice and guidance to match each beneficiary with the mentor who meets their expectations.
Unfortunately, stakeholders are not always familiar with the beneficiaries’ history of movement in the system. This lack of information is the source for the discouragement & confusion for both sides. A digital platform would be a major step towards fulfilling expectations & ambitions on both sides, as it would regroup all the available information & history within the Center’s network. It would allow each stakeholder to report on their various interactions following every meeting, be it trainings, internships, or job opportunities. It would also be a perfect follow-up tool, insuring greater fluidity in training times, project set-ups, as well as support towards employability. In addition, this platform would allow stakeholders to share their newsfeeds along with the new opportunities offered by their organizations.
4. Behind the Hill
This work was a valuable opportunity for its to participate in the critique of CSR and its relationship with government, stakeholders, and civil society ( Friedman, 1994 ; Utting, 2000 ; Fox, 2004 ; Reed, 2004 ; Blowfield & Frynas, 2005 ; Prieto Carron et al., 2006 ; Utting, 2006 ; Karnani, 2007 ; Anderson et al., 2010 ; Idemudia, 2011 ; Visser, 2011 ; Porter & Kramer, 2011 , Mosse et al., 2011 , Yunus et al., 2015 ).
In this complex relationship, CSR initiatives are driven by concerns of three types:
1) Minimizing negative externalities and access to resources.
2) Making a positive and sustainable contribution to development.
3) Maximizing stakeholder well-being.
Conducting this research project relied on a three-pronged approach:
´ A study of the setting that led to the emergence of CSR (bibliographic review) in the GVC context of MNEs.
´ An analysis of the opportunities & threats to the CSR model in Morocco through a case study of the territory of Khouribga (field survey, analysis of the materiality matrix of stakeholders involved).
´ A review of the needs & expectations of the stakeholders involved in the social development process.
Nothing better illustrates the commitment of MNEs to CSR than the myth of Sisyphus. The mythological king tirelessly rolled his immense boulder to the top of the mountain, only for it to roll down each time he was close to the top. He neither tired nor despaired, as he continued to roll it to the top for eternity. Paradoxically, accepting this inevitable defeat & taking it into account is a noteworthy transformation and, therefore, a “victory”. Albert Camus was able to conclude that “everything is well” because “we must imagine Sisyphus happy”.
One might even say CSR suffers from this “curse” of almost never achieving a positive result.
In the aftermath of a tragedy, OCP built a new city in Benguerir, in the setting of the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University, after having previously largely contributed to the construction and development of the city of Khouribga. The overall CSR environment became highly visible during the process, as things were no longer as they were before.
While conducting our research, we analyzed the exhausting rise of CSR over a decade and examined at how the company’s employees—its “social entrepreneurs”—believed in the positive contribution to the well-being of society. We explored the ways they tried to reach local communities by mobilizing stakeholder theory along national and international NGOs. Key CSR actors were tasked with developing programs aimed at improving the living conditions of local populations.
Initially, these actions were structured around well-calculated pilot programs such as those in education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, sport, culture, and health. Another cross-cutting program of technical assistance or capacity building for the actors involved was later developed.
We uncovered two limitations to these policies:
1) These “quick win” projects were elaborated in offices with a “make-do” logic, completely disconnected from the lives and realities of vulnerable populations.
2) There is a clear confusion between CSR and funders who then plays the role of a financier without having a clear orientation in line with the entrepreneurial objectives of the company, as well as the state’s and communities’ development objectives.
The multiplication of CSR projects has fostered the dispersion of resources (both financial and human) and a blurring of what Corporate Social Responsibility really is. It has become associated with a bank without an identity linked to either its core business or to its territories of intervention.
Subsequently, and with the aim of monitoring the scope of Corporate Responsibility and optimizing resources, CSR has provided financial support for local and regional development plans and put companies’ know-how and resources at the service of the socioeconomic development of the territories of action. Companies are now returning to their bubble, while social objectives disappear from their vision. This new approach has not been very successful in the field and does not really provide effective solutions to social problems such as youth unemployment or access to resources and markets.
The gap between a business’ interests and motivations, the state, and civil society is problematic, particularly in a “middle-income country” context. It is still unclear whether CSR would benefit from being more in touch with societal problems, from edging closer to the state’s “development function” or from innovating in other manners to positively change the dynamic between state and civil society.
In the current context, actions conducted under the scope of CSR do not provide answers to thorny social problems, such as unemployment. This is due to the existing shifts in productivity gains as well as the rather low productivity of both public investment and the private sector locally and regionally.
More recently, new public and private programs such as “Forsa,” “INDH platforms,” and “Intelaka” have created strong expectations of wage labor and subcontracting that are not compensated by support for entrepreneurship, which remains restrained by its lack of financing and lagging behind certain essential links in the entrepreneurial value chain, such as the empowerment of SMEs and the integration of large value chains into markets. Issues of capitalization, stability of CSR actions, transmission, and generalization of impact can also be added to the list.
We now wonder if the positioning of CSR based on “quick wins” is still relevant and if it would be resilient in a context of high uncertainties. Only a shared and stable vision as well as an investment of passionate people on the ground long enough will make it possible to succeed, resulting in a territory’s potential and capacities being better detected, exploited, trained & supported.
Nevertheless, the recent health and inflation crises have revealed three intrinsic strengths of Morocco:
1) The rebellious and resourceful character of young people;
2) The civic engagement of certain companies during the pandemic was exemplary and deserves to be supported in a structured way;
3) The dynamics of the social and solidarity economy, mainly driven by women, encourages great hope in Morocco.
People need to be at the heart of the CSR transition, which in turn should be designed to target specific results. This can only be achieved through a 360˚ vision combined to an innovative and stable participatory governance, starting from a presentation of the complex relationship between CSR, development, and society that highlights the crucial role of entrepreneurs in the governance of CSR, through a process of creating added value and developing complementary activities to industrial activities.
In developing countries, CSR is aimed to complement the economic actions of companies and governments with complementary social, cultural, and sporting actions. However, MNEs have been particularly criticized in terms of social and environmental impact, and economists relayed by civil society note that these companies create significant negative externalities, both social and environmental, and that CSR reinforces the dependence of territories on MNEs. Local integration, demand for jobs, pollution, water stress, land management, and human rights are examples of tensions between local populations and these extractive MNEs.
Companies have therefore started taking a social and environmental turn. However, these actions are now often considered “social washing” or even “greenwashing”, leading to harsh criticism of the communication operations of these MNEs ( Utting, 2006 ). In this context, the use of artificial communication and the concealment of certain negative externalities, or the need for some development actors to ignore what is happening at the local level for a variety of reasons ( Van Ufford et al., 1993 ) can be costly for businesses and society, as what is hidden always returns like a black swan.
Stakeholder theory ( Friedman, 1994 ) has been considered the basic concept for understanding and analyzing the relationship between actors and the firm. Yet it appears that synergies between actors are not easy to acquire, and the measurement of impact is not necessarily at the heart of the action of each stakeholder. Each stakeholder must now design its actions and work plan by placing vulnerable populations, local residents in particular, at the heart of the objective. Our research reinforces this observation but also reveals the imperative to work both on a shared vision and on creating a stable and supportive environment for CSR.
The CSR of “stakeholders” is indeed an interesting prospect for activating all energies around the sustainable development table by promoting value sharing, cooperation, and social innovation. Thus, governments, companies and civil society are looking for a role to play in this CSR instead of entering into a social struggle, a destructive competition, or abdicating their responsibility. This vision of tripartite governance could form a safer and more stable framework and encourage MNEs to outsource innovation to local actors. In this context, the government would facilitate the overall environment of CSR dynamics through flexible regulation and targeted public aid. For its part, the participation of civil society will improve targeting and provide a good knowledge of the needs on the ground.
In these policies, the trend to develop clean technologies and more integrated sustainable and solidarity-based clusters at the local level is confirmed through a committed dynamic of local content, the development of sustainable and inclusive economies (examples of solutions based on renewable energies, the circular economy, social enterprise, and the service cooperative), and a restructuring of local SMEs so that they become service providers and sources of innovation proposals to MNEs and governments—starting from the conviction that the overall performance of a MNE is linked to the positive & lasting impact generated by industrial operations in territories where multinationals operate and, on the other hand, the imperative to integrate CSR and innovation as ways of adapting and transforming companies and territories
Thus, the identity of tomorrow’s CSR, whatever its sector of activity, would be that of a social and solidarity enterprise that respects the environment. OCP Group, a global MNE, has succeeded in developing its contribution to the economic development of the Kingdom of Morocco and in bringing out structuring projects on the territory of Khouribga that have contributed to the influence of the entire region. The establishment of the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir is now the expression of the new vision of value sharing in favor of research and development as a growth engine for the company and the territories of its activity.
Our research paper shows how the territory and all stakeholders involved will be able to benefit—on the long term—of OCP’s resources and expertise and put them at the service of sustainable and innovative development. It also reveals the positive interaction between the movement launched by the Industrial Group to break down “silos of personal interests” and the level of value sharing in the areas of action with national suppliers and local communities. The company’s transformation process has therefore made it possible to open up to new audiences, conquer new markets, and set much more ambitious social, environmental, and governance objectives. Thus, agriculture, fertilizers, water, energy, research and development, innovation, and technology are new themes of partnership between OCP, the private sector, and territories. At the heart of this success stands—first and foremost—a visionary CEO, in touch with the realities of the world around him.
In a development context, the expectations and needs of stakeholders and target groups are limitless, hence the need to clarify what CSR can and cannot do. Consequently, it is important to prioritize actions (to avoid the dispersion of energies and multiple solicitations) to establish a permanent and constructive dialogue defining the real aim of CSR, away from personal interests and the influences of individual logics. In addition to this, changing the mindset of all the stakeholders is the most difficult objective, to ensure commitment and merit in the territory.
It remains difficult to think about evaluating the impact of CSR in Morocco after 3 years, as the situation of the targeted groups remains unclear, as is the case for the beneficiaries evolving in the socio-economic environment of the country. The CSR programs touch on vast areas, complicating all analysis processes of their impact in terms of learning or on the development of young people and women. We must consider the duplicability of CSR projects in the context of unpredictable actions and shifting public policies. We must also ask ourselves the question of the labeling of certain CSR initiatives: are they sustainable projects? Combining the three aspects of ecology, economy, and society? Finally, we must also ask ourselves the question of the motivation of stakeholders to integrate this CSR initiative, especially young people and women, in the social and solidarity economy. Given the complexity of CSR programs, it is therefore necessary to ensure that a coherent monitoring and evaluation plan is in place. Communication should be a pillar of program deployment. Good practices should be shared between stakeholders and targets. We should also pay closer attention to the issues of water, energy, and agriculture.
There are opportunities for positive interactions between business and sustainability. In our case study, we showed it was possible to open new perspectives for young people in the field of sustainable development. It combines environmental education, agricultural entrepreneurship, solar energy, circular economy, and service cooperatives. OCP Group’s expertise in these new businesses can have a positive impact on a number of structured stakeholders.
Young Moroccans struggle to find a good opportunity or mentor, as the demand is high and the number of qualified mentors very low—they must be entrepreneurs themselves to be able to help. It, therefore, is necessary to think about a new strategic approach to integrate young people and open new economic prospects.
The Khouribga Skills Center Project was a post-Arab Spring CSR solution to develop young people’s capacities for initiative based on the realities of local communities. However, despite being sponsored and carried by OCP, it has been underutilized and poorly integrated into the industrial ecosystem, with programming that lacks legibility and capitalization. The center’s mentors, who are still very young, lack the ability to connect with the Moroccan economic environment. Actors in the territory have potential but lack the means and ambitions to achieve it, which raises the problem of the sustainability of their actions and the quality of their supervision.
Value chains are not integrated, and the existing industrial ecosystem does not provide sustainable and inclusive solutions. Beyond financial investment and the development of social infrastructure, major public and CSR initiatives must be able to identify vulnerable populations, synergies, and partners to be mobilized so that their involvement in the development of the territory has a real strategic impact.
Sport is central societal axis. Deeply rooted in the Moroccan culture, it can be a tremendous mean to create synergies with a real impact. Local sports centers are vectors of education, well-being, and living together; they can also participate in the attractiveness of the city and its influence. Some cultural initiatives with significant potential around cinema and theater are present on the territory, but most of the actors are rather focused, in their initiatives, on local cultural animation. OCP, INDH, Regional Councils, and some structured NGOs financially support the lack of resources among actors. Associative actors have potential but have limited impact and non-sustainable business models based essentially on subsidies and volunteering. The connection with major national and international actors must be strengthened.
5. Conclusions
Nothing is simple in Corporate Social Responsibility. Yet OCP Group, a global public MNE from Morocco and one of the biggest actors in the world of phosphate and fertilizers, has not only become more prosperous but also more stable, thanks to its committed actions for CSR and ESG.
The Group’s tremendous contributions to the sustainable development of the territories where its industrial operations are located, its outstanding support and promotion of R&D, innovation and education through the creation of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, with its moral commitment to Africa’s food security are the company’s new pillars. This global and remarkably innovative vision was imagined and is orchestrated by its Chairman and CEO, Dr Mustapha Terrab, a true enlighted and tireless genius who stands behind all of the Company’s successes since 2006.
Porter’s concept of “Creating Shared Value” aims to transform business-relevant social issues into business opportunities, to combine solving societal major challenges with generating greater profitability for businesses. OCP Group strongly adheres to this concept and has so far successfully redefined and developed new products and markets along its global value chain.
The business transformation process has improved the company’s economic, social, and environmental adaptability and its integration of a growing number of stakeholders around the table. OCP must continue down this path, with new strategic linkages both locally and nationally, to ensure it integrates agricultural inputs, supply chains, and Rare-earth. The last step would be achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the territories through new innovative local production sites, thus allowing local SMEs to manufacture parts and components and offer service innovations to MNEs.
OCP is also strengthening its identity as a social and solidarity champion and investor by targeting best practices and key global production networks (Africa and Latin America). Its nurturing of a social entrepreneurial logic with clear objectives, the dynamics of the accumulation of skills, and the creation of a network of experts positions it as an upcoming leader in the field of R&D and innovation. The company is also enforcing its legitimacy in very competitive sectors, namely energy and water which, in a global context, would lead to it being the best or working with the best. CSR is the first step for OCP to continually improve its model, provided that the corporate culture is fundamentally changed.
CSR is the long-term moral commitment of a company to its stakeholders, specifically in terms of sustainable human development. Our objective is to rethink the perspective of “Stakeholders CSR” in the service of vulnerable people and infrastructure transitions. We believe that there is a positive interaction between global value chains and the bottom of the hill. If stakeholders can improve their contribution to sustainable global value chains with innovation, cooperation, and the right mindset, they can be acknowledged as key CSR partners providing more and more positive and sustainable value. To achieve this, improving innovation capacity requires investment in training and infrastructure, as well as changing corporate culture, building middle management, and developing capacity for listening and observing crises.
More broadly, we must also think about some major challenges:
´ How do we continue to motivate social innovators in the face of a “roller coaster” and stay focused on the goal of food security and social and human development?
´ How to change the “corporate culture” and how to prepare the “middle management”?
´ How do we raise the general level of education and training and create employment opportunities in new sectors of sustainable development and transitions?
´ How to promote the mixing of cultures and mentalities between very different generations and fields (social, industrial, and ecological)?
How could this trust- and stakeholder-based CSR ensure the best conditions for access to upstream resources at national and regional level, and how will it help MNEs become more integrated and stable global hubs?
List of Abbreviations And Acronyms
ANAPEC: Agence Nationale de Promotion de l’Emploi et des Compétences
AWB: Attijariwafa Bank
CCG: Caisse Centrale de Garantie
CCIS: Chambre de Commerce, d’Industrie et de Services
CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility
CSV: Creating Shared value
ESG: Environmental, Social, & Corporate Governance
GPN: Global Production Networks
GVC: Global Value Chain
IGA: Income Generating Activities
INDH: National Human Development Initiative (French: Initiative Nationale pour le Développement Humain)
JV: Joint Venture
KSC: Khouribga Skills Center
MNE: Multinational Enterprise
NGO: Non-Governmental Organization
OCP: Office Chérifien des Phosphates
OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OFPPT: Office de la Formation Professionnelle et de la Promotion du Travail
R&D: Research and Development
RIC: Regional Investment Center (French: Centre Régional d’Investissement)
SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals
SME: Small & Medium Enterprises
UM6P: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
NOTES
*Corresponding author.
#MSc in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Emerging Africa.
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2https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/100-day-supply-chain-review-report.pdf
3http://dln.jaipuria.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/10865/1/Risk-resilience-and-rebalancing-in-global-value-chains-full-report.pdf
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5http://benimellalkhenifra.ma/en.
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8National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH) and United Nations Development Programme Office in Morocco (UNDP), 2021. National Human Development Report 2020.
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11The Khouribga Skills Center (KSC) is the pilot project of the OCP group's societal commitment to territories. It is a platform dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship, youth employability, the local associative network, and the socio-cultural animation of the territory. The KSC is also a way to build trust with the local population, promote the values of citizenship, and develop partnerships with stakeholders.
12Deloitte, 2018. Synthetic presentation of the work of thematic Diagnostics Economy-Sport-Culture-Health-Education carried out within the Situation RS of Khouribga.
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