Causal Interrelationship between Barriers to Corporate Social Responsibility in the Construction Industry and Sustainable Development from the Perspective of a Developing Country

Abstract

A lack of resources and environmental pollution are robust pressures serving to enhance sustainable development globally, especially in developing countries. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an effective way of dealing with this situation. Nevertheless, CSR implementation still faces challenges in the construction sector. This paper aims to define the barriers to applying CSR and to propose a causal interrelationship between barriers to CSR in the Vietnamese construction environment using the fuzzy DEMATEL approach. The findings indicated that difficulties around CSR, construction industry characteristics, and the internal perspectives of enterprises could be divided into influence groups, with stakeholders and politicians belonging to the affected group. This finding provides a comprehensive model by considering an interrelationship between barriers to CSR. At the same time, it aids construction organizations and governments in making the best decisions to mutually support successful CSR practice.