The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is partnering with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) and ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) on a study to measure the perceptions of companies on the responsible and inclusive business environment in Southeast Asia. It is envisioned that findings from the study could better inform policymakers in ASEAN countries.

As a pilot study, focus group discussions and interviews will be conducted with businesses and business representative organisations across ASEAN, with a special emphasis on Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The discussions will focus on businesses’ understanding of the concepts and existing policy instruments to promote Responsible Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Business among others, and their perceptions of how policy makers address their concerns and support them in their specific contexts.

The areas that will be covered by the study include awareness, regulatory framework, partnerships, capacity building, access to market and access to finance. 

The findings of the study will be included in an annual publication “The Voice of Business in ASEAN” which is planned to be launched alongside the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2018 in November in Singapore.