Before the Sanctions: How Firms in Russia Institutionalized Corporate Social Responsibility

This article investigates the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Russia before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. First, the authors present an index they constructed from CSR reporting data of 45 leading firms. The article demonstrates that the degree to which firms in Russia have institutionalized CSR practices and norms varies extensively. Second, by building on neo-institutionalist theory and mechanisms of isomorphic change, it explores the global and domestic pressures that promoted CSR institutionalization in Russia’s authoritarian capitalism. The findings from the Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) show that there is no uniform path, but rather multiple, equifinal routes to CSR institutionalization. Two types of mimetic isomorphism—modelling CSR activities after best international practices and path-dependent Soviet-type experiences—are crucial to explaining CSR institutionalization in Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, international practices could become less important, while the domestic pressures to further CSR institutionalization will remain relevant.