The uncharted link between CSR and HRM in emerging market economies: the cases of Bangladesh, India and China

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increasingly captured the interest of academics and practitioners in emerging market economies (EMEs). Despite this rising attention, its applications in Human Resource Management (HRM) in Asian emerging economies such as China, India and Bangladesh, which have demonstrated significant economic growth, largely remain understudied. Extant literature identifies two trajectories while examining the interface between CSR and HRM. The first line of research explores how HRM plays a role in implementing an organisation’s CSR strategies. The second stream of research focuses on various issues such as ethical issues in employee relations, fair and equal treatment of employees, and labour rights protection. In this respect, the aim of this chapter is to capture the intersection between HRM and CSR in emerging market economies, China, India and Bangladesh in particular, where companies at times were accused of taking advantage of weak local regulations, undermining the interests of their employees and exploiting them. This chapter also highlights the implications of current studies for practitioners and the need for further research on the link between CSR and HRM and its possible impacts on employees in EMEs.