Corporate Social Responsibility: Myth,Smokescreen or Goodwill
While Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has traditionally been the domain of the corporate sector, recognition of the growing significance of the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) sector has led to an emphasis on their social and environmental impact, illustrated by an increasing number of initiatives aimed at engaging SMEs in the CSR agenda. CSR has been well researched in large companies, but SMEs have received less attention in this area. This paper presents the findings from an Australia wide study of socially responsible companies. The 27 interviews conducted were chosen as exemplars of CSR in SMEs. The aim of this study therefore is to progress understanding of both the limitations on and opportunities for CSR in SMEs through the exploration of exemplary characteristics in the study companies. Key areas of investigation were CSR terminology, the influence of managerial values, the nature of SME CSR activities, motivation for and benefits from engaging in CSR, and the challenges faced. The results of this study demonstrate some of the exemplary goals and principles needed to a chieve social responsibility in SMEs, and begin to provide knowledge that could be used to engender learning in other SMEs. In particular, there is evidence that stakeholder theory may provide a framework in which SMEs and CSR can be understood. SMEs prefer to learn through networking and from their peers, so this is a possible avenue for greater SME engagement in CSR. This would require strong leadership or championing from individuals such as highly motivated owner -managers and from exemplary companies as a whole.
social responsibility limitation opportunity
Kevin TANG David A.ROBINSON
Bond University, USA Central Queensland University, Australia
国际会议
杭州
英文
485-493
2009-10-25（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）