Sustainability of Islamic Bank CSR Programs: Experience from the Emerging Market

Abstract

This article discusses the sustainability of an Islamic CSR programs by assessing the satisfaction and their quality of life. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with the beneficiaries of the CSR programs through the platform established by the bank, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad which is known as the Sadaqa House. Three key informants or key informants had been selected who represented their institutions and received assistance from the CSR programs. The interviews data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Findings showed that Sadaqa House as a platform that managing the CSR programs has managed to improve the quality of life and being sustainable. This study is constrained by a small sample of key informants however the saturation of information or data is achieved as per the objectives of the study. Moreover, the key informants who were selected were relevant and appropriate for the study. Hence, able to provide meaningful insights and achieve the objectives. This study contributes towards a better understanding of the impact of CSR programs provided by the financial institutions and the sustainability of such programs toward the beneficiaries. The study brings a perspective of the emerging market in the context of CSR. The experience of this bank can be used as a reference for best practices to be emulated by others.