Purpose: The study aims to explore how SC suppliers respond to corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation strategies and deal with institutional constraints within the global supply chain. Design/Methodology/approach: This research study followed a mixed method approach. A qualitative case study was developed based on data collected through in-depth interviews, observations, workshops and seminar discussions. Findings: Two CSR strategies were identified, together with managerial, organizational, and societal constraints. Both strategies fail due to CSR ignorance and economic constraints of the suppliers. The corporate-driven strategy is constrained by limiting the supplier's margins forcing them to use less responsible subcontractors. The partnership strategy fails as it allows the suppliers to ignore compliance to CSR implementation rules and especially in economically difficult situations. Research limitations/implications: This paper has several limitations. The data illustrate a specific industry and SC companies in a specific country context which makes generalizations difficult. Practical implications: Long-term economic cooperation and negotiation between involved supply chain (SC) parties is prerequisite to improve supplier ability to act independently. This means that the corporate-driven CSR strategy in SC is so far easier to manage but elicit costs for suppliers. Originality/value: This study addresses the difficulties in managing the corporate-driven strategy and the partnership strategy in emerging market business context that traditionally has institutionalized corporate-driven SC control. With focus on two main CSR implementation strategies applied by two case corporations, this article contributes to show how institutional constraints influence on supplier ability in the studied SC context.