| Gold mining communities in Ghana have experienced destruction of vegetation, water pollution, and soil contamination by activities of mining due to rapid growth and dependency on mining of natural resources within the catchment areas of the mining activities. These circumstances with repercussions of corruption and inefficient management of corporate social responsibility places organizational goals above the community and the nation. These setbacks necessitate the successful practice of corporate social responsibility to benefit stakeholders within mining communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between corporate social responsibility, environmental policies, and community complaints, and the fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders. The research questions addressed whether a relationship existed between corporate social responsibility, environmental impact, community complaints, and the fiduciary responsibility to shareholders within gold mining companies in Ghana. Social exchange theory was the theoretical base of this quantitative correlational study, which included point-biserial and Spearman correlations to examine archival data from 10 active gold mining companies in Ghana. Results indicated a significant inverse relationship between community complaints and fiduciary responsibility, meaning that companies with positive report of community complaints tend to have lower fiduciary responsibility. Findings may inform policymakers, regulatory agencies, and mining organizations regarding the fiduciary effects of corporate social responsibility in the Ghanaian mining industry, and thereby influence positive business practices, living standards, and quality of life of Ghanaian citizens. |
