THE EVOLUTION OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN AZERBAIJAN: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS OF SOCAR

Azerbaijan became familiar with corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a new phenomenon at the beginning of the new era and it has already changed its meaning rather than charity. The aim of this study is to analyze the transformation and the current situation of CSR in Azerbaijan, particularly in the petroleum industry. In the last three decades, the oil and gas industry is the key driver for the economy in Azerbaijan. Especially, several foreign companies invested in oil exploration and production after the country got independence. The paper presents the CSR activities of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) that takes the main part of the oil and gas industry at local and global levels. The document analysis of SOCAR is based on Carroll`s CSR pyramid. Moreover, available literature on corporate social responsibility is undertaken for the theoretical underpinnings on the topic.