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Attraction or Distraction? Corporate Social Responsibility in Macao’s Gambling Industry

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Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate how and why organisations in Macao’s gambling industry engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is based on an in-depth investigation of Macao’s gambling industry with 49 semi-structured interviews, conducted in 2011. We found that firms within the industry were emphasising pragmatic legitimacy based on both economic and non-economic contributions, in order to project positive images of the industry, while glossing over two domains of adverse externalities: problem gambling among visitors, and the pollution and despoliation of the environment. By engaging symbolically rather than substantively in CSR, the gambling firms were diverting attention away from issues of moral legitimacy, in order to be allowed to continue to pursue “business as usual” as a means of obtaining substantial financial returns in a social, cultural and socio-political context that was exerting relatively little public pressure to improve corporate social and environmental performance. We conjecture that the gambling firms were feeding on borrowed time.

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Acknowledgments

The first author is pleased to acknowledge the constructive comments and suggestions received from Professors Rob Gray, Lee Parker, Markus Milne, Helen Tregidga and Lies Bouten, from Drs Philip Roscoe and Samuel Mansell, and from other participants at the 2013 CSEAR Conference (St Andrews) and the 5th World Business Ethics Forum (Macau) in 2014.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Professional Education & Executive Development, College of Professional & Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Tiffany Cheng Han Leung

  2. Department of Management, Lingnan University, 8, Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Robin Stanley Snell

Authors
  1. Tiffany Cheng Han Leung
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  2. Robin Stanley Snell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tiffany Cheng Han Leung.

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Ethical approval

This study was approved by the appropriate research ethics committee and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Semi-structured Interview Guide for Internal Stakeholders

Personal details

  • How would you describe your role in the organisation?

  • How long have you been in this position?

  • What background and experience do you bring to this position?

  • Could you provide some background information about your department?

  • When and why did your company establish a CSR department, if there is one?

Set 1—Questions for those recognising the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’

  1. 1.

    What do you understand by the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR)?

  2. 2.

    What do you think about CSR as an issue in your company?

  3. 3.

    Why does your company engage in CSR?

  4. 4.

    Would you be willing to discuss your company’s experience of engaging in CSR?

  5. 5.

    Is there any specific issue to the gambling industry or special challenges?

Set 2—Questions for those, who do not recognise the term, CSR

  1. 1.

    Tell me about your job and daily operations in your company.

  2. 2.

    What do you think about your company?

  3. 3.

    What does your company contribute to the society?

  4. 4.

    What responsibilities does your company have?

  5. 5.

    Can gambling companies be socially responsible?

Appendix 2: Semi-structured Interview Guide for External Stakeholders

Personal details

  • How would you describe your role in the organisation?

  • How long have you been in this position?

  • What background and experience do you bring to this position?

  • Could you provide some background information about your department?

Set 1—Questions for those, who recognise the term, CSR

  1. 1.

    What do you understand by the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR)?

  2. 2.

    How do you view CSR in the gambling industry?

  3. 3.

    In what ways do you think the gambling industry’s participation in CSR affects society?

  4. 4.

    Would you be willing to discuss the impact of the gambling industry, if any, on your organisation (problem gambling counsellors/journalists/academics)?

  5. 5.

    Do you have any thoughts on whether the gambling industry faces any specific issues or special challenges?

Set 2—Questions for those, who do not recognise the term, CSR

  1. 1.

    Tell me about your job and daily operations in your organisation.

  2. 2.

    How do you view the gambling industry?

  3. 3.

    What does the gambling industry contribute to the society?

  4. 4.

    What responsibilities does the gambling industry have?

  5. 5.

    Would you be willing to discuss the impact of the gambling industry, if any, on your organisation?

  6. 6.

    Can the gambling industry be socially responsible?

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Leung, T.C.H., Snell, R.S. Attraction or Distraction? Corporate Social Responsibility in Macao’s Gambling Industry. J Bus Ethics 145, 637–658 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2890-z

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