Defining the Role Engagement of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) discourse, academic research, public policy and media commentaries, which have burgeoned in the past few decades in response to the desire to define the nexus between business and society tended to focus mainly on large corporate organizations which are expected to behave responsibly. The big businesses have for years attracted large volume of literature on CSR. Very little literature is currently available to enhance our understanding about the engagement of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in CSR. The SMEs, often defined variously, in terms of turnover, gross asset value, ownership structure and the number of employees, is a significant sector worldwide in terms of economic, environmental and the social impact they make. This paper attempted to bridge this apparent research gulf, defined the nature of SMEs, the aggregate contributions of the sector to economies of both developed and developing nations and their role engagement in CSR. The study adopted qualitative literature survey method. A review of the paltry literature provided insight and defined the direction of research in this important and underexplored area of study. SMEs were found to perform roles associated with community development, employee initiatives, consumerism, environmental actions and supply chain requirements. To overcome the constraints confronting SMEs engagement in CSR initiatives the paper recommended increased resources, training programmes, development of SMEs-oriented tools and standards to guide adoption and implementation, and government intervention strategies to create the necessary incentives and support services for effective engagement.

Participative Leadership and Organizational Identification in SMEs in the MENA Region: Testing the Roles of CSR Perceptions and Pride in Membership

“…These enterprises are considered a vivacity that employ and foster fresh entrepreneurial skills and create systemic effective capabilities which function to raise both innovation and competition (Jamali et al, 2009). Nevertheless, little is known about CSR in SMEs (Inyang, 2013).…”

“…SMEs, enterprises with less than 250 employees (Hall et al, 2009), constitute more than 90% of the world's companies, prompting almost 60% of employment worldwide (Jamali et al, 2009). More attention is needed to understand the SMEs' potential distinctions and contributions with regard to CSR (Inyang, 2013). This paper intends to address these literature gaps by testing the proposed model in SMEs in the MENA region.…”

“…Third, by testing the mediating effect of PIM on the relationship between CSR and OI, this study contributes to the psychology of emotions literature because it aims to show how the employees' PIM can be experienced and how it can affect their identification (Ayse et al, 2015;De Roeck et al, 2014). Finally, by testing the model in the context of SMEs in the MENA region, the paper makes an empirical contribution to the CSR literature because it looks at CSR in SMEs which is relevant to expanding the core of the CSR theory (Inyang, 2013;Spence, 2014;Vázquez-Carrasco and López-Pérez, 2013). It also focuses on the freshly shifted attention to CSR in developing nations, particularly in the MENA region, where most companies are SMEs .…”

“…Very little research on the extent and nature of CSR in developing nations exist (Visser, 2008). Moreover, scant literature that explains the involvement of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in CSR exists (Inyang, 2013). SMEs, enterprises with less than 250 employees (Hall et al, 2009), constitute more than 90% of the world's companies, prompting almost 60% of employment worldwide (Jamali et al, 2009).…”

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: In Who’s Interest?

“…Meeting the expectations of its shareholders as well as the interest of the stakeholders has been a contested issue for most corporations because of their conflicting prospects. Due to the dependency of business on society, certain responsibilities or obligations are imposed on the business organizations to discharge as part of their CSR (Inyang, 2013). Despite the increased attention given to the issue of CSR, choosing the right form of CSR and successfully implementing same has been a difficult task.…”