Social Responsibility of Brazilian and Foreign Pharmaceutical Industry Companies in Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to identify how the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is understood by companies in the pharmaceutical sector, to compare the communication of social responsibility by Brazilian and foreign companies, and to characterize the connection between social responsibility and business strategy. To that end, the concept of social responsibility and the articulation of social responsibility with business strategy are discussed. The methodology used in this study is exploratory, qualitative, and bibliographic, employing a bibliographical survey of projects, programmes and the results of social actions publicly available on the websites of companies in the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector, selected for this research. The results show that the companies studied, both national and foreign, use their corporate website to explain the actions of social responsibility. Critical aspects concern the identification of partners and the results of social responsibility projects and programmes, as well as the dissemination of sustainability reports. Moreover, the communication is not enlightening about the role of social responsibility and sustainability in the competitive strategy of companies in the sector