CHARITY SEES THE NEED, NOT THE CAUSE: THE STRATEGIC CSR DURING THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK

Abstract

The year 2020 has turned into a turmoil after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic around the
world. The pandemic has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives and impacted the world
economics severely as many countries face dire economic situation due to the lockdown of
business operations to break the chain of the COVID-19 infection. Similarly, citizens
experience stressful situations, requiring assistance and support in essential needs, such as food,
monetary aid, and health equipment. To address the citizens’ needs might be challenging for
many countries as governments themselves also face financial constraints. As such, private
sectors could play their roles in this challenging situation through Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This paper aims to explore the CSR initiatives by private
sectors in Malaysia in supporting the fight towards the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.