Introduction:Corporate social responsibility in industrial cities is not merely a set of supportive or organizational activities; rather, it is part of the relationship between industry and the local community. In cities such as Meybod, industry is embedded in everyday life, workers’ families, schools, sports spaces, cultural-religious rituals, and local services. Accordingly, the main question of this study is how local actors experience, interpret, and evaluate the social responsibility of industries, and what these perceptions reveal about the relationship between industry and the local community.

Method: This study employed a qualitative approach and thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 relevant actors, including executive managers, administrative officials, citizens, social activists, environmental actors, a university professor, and local authorities. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The main inclusion criterion was having meaningful experience or knowledge of corporate social responsibility practices in Meybod. Interviews continued until thematic saturation was reached. Data were analyzed according to the stages of thematic analysis, and the trustworthiness of the study was strengthened through attention to credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

Findings:The analysis showed that social perceptions of corporate social responsibility in Meybod are shaped through tangible and close everyday experiences. The findings were organized into four main themes. The first theme, “industry as a social supporter in local life,” indicates that industries are perceived as supporting education, public services, health, and social needs in the city. The second theme, “sport and leisure as tangible experiences of corporate social responsibility,” highlights the role of sports programs, workers’ vitality, family leisure, and the visibility of industry in public spaces. The third theme, “cultural-religious alignment and the strengthening of social acceptance of industry,” emphasizes industrial participation in rituals, cultural programs, recognition of workers’ families, and engagement with local values. The fourth theme, “worker-family care and micro-level trust in industry,” shows the importance of counseling services, mental health support, family assistance, and attention to workers’ human lives in building trust.

Conclusion:The results indicate that corporate social responsibility in the industrial city of Meybod is understood less through formal reports or organizational policies than through people’s lived experiences. Industry is perceived as socially responsible when it has a meaningful presence in the city’s social life, including schools, sports spaces, workers’ families, cultural rituals, health services, and everyday experiences. Therefore, corporate social responsibility in Meybod is a social, interpretive, and ethical relationship between industry and the local community. The sustainability of this relationship depends on the continuity of support, attention to real needs, trust-building, more balanced access, and taking seriously the judgments of local stakeholders.