Corporate social responsibility of agricultural companies of Ukraine under martial law

Abstract

One of the main factors thanks to which the Ukrainian economy withstood the powerful beginning of the full-scale military invasion of Russia and has been maintaining courage for more than two years, is the high level of social initiatives of business and self-awareness of Ukrainian society. Agricultural companies not only protect their business, but also continue to work to support the army, their workers, communities and vulnerable population. The article analyses the features of the implementation of corporate social responsibility as a modern business strategy. The specifics of corporate social responsibility practices of agricultural companies have been established, which is aimed at: socio-psychological and financial support for company employees; ensuring the defence capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and related structures; humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons and vulnerable populations; support of territorial communities in the regions of presence. New directions of CSR, the emergence of which was a direct consequence of the war, have been identified and systematized. It has been established that these include: additional emergency leaves; military leaves with retention of compensation; regular emotional check-ins in teams; ‘Ukraine firstʼ case, ‘National Identityʼ case, ‘Ukraine Culture Codeʼ case. It was determined that the essence of these new cases is meaningful national education, support of national identity, raising the level of awareness of Ukrainian cultural heritage and debunking myths about ‘Sovietʼ Ukraine. Furthermore, it was established that the emergence of such practices is connected with a clear understanding of Ukrainian society about the need to rebuild the state after the victory.