Small To Medium Sized Enterprises And Corporate Social Responsibility

While the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of small firms have been analysed to some extent, their engagement in international networks relating to CSR is less understood. Most of these networks primarily address the needs of multinational corporations. Surprisingly, however, the number of small firms participating in such institutions has substantially increased over recent years. But what is the reason for this new interest of SME in institutional forms of CSR? Based on a qualitative empirical study of German small firms’ participation in the most prominent CSR institution, the UN Global Compact, this book explores the drivers for small firm participation. The motivations are complex and do not follow the same hierarchical order associated with large business behaviour. Rather, reasons for institutional engagement suggest a heterarchical structure, where alignment is contingent upon factors such as individual CSR perception, self-conception or social environment. The book explains why small firms prefer to engage in sustainable development within institutionalised forms of CSR rather than act in isolation, and provides recommendations on how to support and thus increase SME participation in institutionalised forms of civic engagement.

"The world's people and their leaders face a complex and multi-faceted set of 'eco-social questions'. As the productivity of humanity increases, the negative external environmental effects of production and consumption patterns become increasingly problematic and threaten the human welfare. As the regulating power of national and international governments is limited, this challenge has generated a strong interest in corporate social responsibility of companies. Firms find it increasingly important to meet the expectations of stakeholders with respect to the company's contribution to profit, planet and people. The primary aim of this book is to introduce the reader to the impacts and drivers of corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a special focus on small and medium sized enterprises. Research into the social and environmental impacts of CSR is rare. This is a serious gap, because if CSR were to fail to have favourable social and environmental impacts on society, the whole concept may become redundant. If societal impacts of CSR are substantial, it is important to know the drivers of CSR. This book considers (1) factors internal to the company, (2) the competitive environment of the company, (3) institutions external to the company, and (4) how the impacts of institutions are mediated or moderated by company internal factors. This book will fill this gap by estimating various types of models that integrate external and internal factors driving CSR and its impacts on environment, innovation and reputation, making it a valuable resource for researchers, academics, and students in the fields of business management and corporate social responsibility"--

This book is the first of its kind – a global overview of extant research on ethics in small and medium sized enterprises. While vast amounts of corporate money, government policy and media time are directed at the social and ethical activities of large corporations, small businesses don’t generally attract the spotlight. This is wildly inappropriate, however, since upward of 90% of private businesses are small or medium sized. This book goes some way to helping us understand the social and ethical contribution of this majority organizational form. The first section of the book is a global round-up of research on ethics in small and medium sized enterprises from major regions of the world. In the second section smaller scale research projects from a variety of countries present both empirical and theoretical advances in the area. Anyone with an interest in ethics and small and medium sized enterprises should find this an inspiring book which paves the way for future research.

This book tackles a largely neglected topic: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their environmental impact. Over 90% of all firms are SMEs. Their importance to the health of national and international economies is recognized. But what of their environmental impact? Individually, this may be small but, collectively, they pose a huge and largely unregulated threat to national and indeed the global environment. There have been many failed attempts to engage SMEs in environmental stewardship. Why is this? And where are the success stories needed to set best-practice examples? Environmental protection is widely touted as being a win-win scenario for business with economic spin-offs in terms of energy and waste reduction quickly producing payback for capital expenditures. Why is the "good environmental management equals good business management" message not getting through? In Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and the Environment Dr Ruth Hillary brings together an outstanding international collection of experts from government, international and national support agencies, academics and the business community to present arguments about the key environmental business imperatives facing the small-firm sector. The book is divided into four sections:Attitudes and Perceptions of Small Firms to the Environment and SustainabilityEnvironmental Management in the Smaller FirmPractical Strategies for Reaching SMEsCase Studies from around the World. In these sections, the book examines the threats – such as trade, supply chain issues and legislative compliance – but is also solution-oriented, with considerable discussion of the management tools smaller firms can use to improve their environmental performance. It aims to provide practical strategies for smaller firms and to that end includes a range of informative case studies from around the world. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and the Environment is the most comprehensive book on the subject available and will prove invaluable not only to SMEs themselves, seeking to understand a rapidly changing world, but to consultants and small-business advisors, local and central government and to all those in academia looking for ways to improve the environmental performance of small businesses.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Ethics, Corporate Ethics, grade: 2, University of Linz (Spracheninstitut), language: English, abstract: Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the contemporary debate on the concepts and definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Conclusions are based on historical perspectives as well as surveys showing why there are still huge divergences whether to implement a proper concept of CSR in SMEs or not. In contrast to multi-national companies (MNCs), which not uncommonly abuse this vogue word, many SMEs struggle to establish an appropriate CSR strategy. This paper will provide an overview of the merits and drawbacks of this highly controversial and elastic term CSR and suggest solution approaches for SMEs in order to stay competitive.

The vast majority of businesses globally are small. If business is to be socially responsible, we need to go beyond the westernised concept of 'Corporate Social Responsibility', to develop 'Small Business Social Responsibility'. This agenda-setting Research Handbook on Small Business Social Responsibility includes leading research from around the world, including developed and developing country contexts. It provides a foundation for the further development of small business social responsibility as a scholarly subject and crucially important practice and policy field.