Political actors in norway demanding that the

political actors in Norway, demanding that the Norwegian companies are in the
forefront in terms of exercising social responsibility.
Moreover, in Brazil, basic education is universally provided. In addition, Brazil has
an extensive private market that offers educational services (Assumpcao et al.,
2008). However, a minority can afford to access the private education system.
Most children attend public primary and secondary school, but great concern is
expressed in relation to the high rates of ‘drop-outs’ and the disparity in the
quality of education across rural and non-rural population (Sandoval, 2012).
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Brazil’s educational system does not suffer severely from a lack of funding, but
more so from a mismanagement of resources, whereas two-third of all students
are functionally illiterate by the time their graduate (Sandoval, 2012). Improved
quality of primary and secondary education combined with greater access to
higher education is suggested solutions in order to promote further economic and
social development.
As this study shows, companies operating in countries with low educated and
lack of qualified workforce trigger them to devote resources on education and
training. In Brazil, the lack of access to and quality of education is considered a
significant barrier to development. Well in line with the theoretical arguments of
McWilliams & Siegel, (2001) I find sufficient evidence to claim that education is a
key determinant factor influencing companies approach to CSR. The imbalance
between the demand of educated workforce in the oil and gas industries, and the
access to it causes companies’ to prioritise this particular theme in their CSR
portfolio. Both the Brazilian and the Norwegian firm represents’ pointed to
education as the focal point of their social CSR investment both linked to their
employees’ and to the wider community. Thus, in regards to the education
system, it is the features of the system itself, being of low quality, as well as the
contextual conditions linked to it, causing a low access to qualified workforce,
which influences the companies to prioritise education. The companies initiate
offer education and training programmes both as a strategic link to improve the
capacity of their work force and as community related projects, trying to facilitate
local development.
5.3 The culture system
Taken the culture system in Norway and Brazil a few outstanding differences are
observed, in particular on the area of power distance, tradition of hierarchy, and
governmental trust. Both countries do however, show traces of cultural
convergence on one area; the principle of solidarity appears to be strong in both
cultures. In Brazil, the charitable culture is reflected in the role of the richer
segment of the society, including corporations, assuming a parental role of the
weaker groups in the society. In Norway, the culture of solidarity unfolds as a
custom and unwritten rule where equality and respect stands strong, whereas
corporations as well as the government are expected to live by these rules.