Small Business Social Responsibility

Abstract

This article seeks to expand business and society research in a number of ways. Its primary purpose is to redraw two core corporate social responsibility (CSR) theories (stakeholder theory and Carroll's CSR pyramid), enhancing their relevance for small business. This redrawing is done by the application of the ethic of care, informed by the value of feminist perspectives and the extant empirical research on small business social responsibility. It is proposed that the expanded versions of core theory have wider relevance, value, and implications beyond the small firm context. The theorization of small business social responsibility enables engagement with the mainstream of CSR research as well as making a contribution to small business studies in scholarly, policy, and practice terms.

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

“…Additionally, the finding contributes to the social information processing theory by expanding the understanding of this theory in an employment context. This finding also helps expand the core of the CSR theory by determining that participative leadership is an antecedent of CSR perceptions, and by looking at CSR in the context of SMEs in developing nations as this is relevant but lacking Spence, 2014). Furthermore, the findings that internal CSR perceptions lead to PIM, that PIM leads to OI, and that PIM plays a mediating role in the relationship between internal CSR perceptions and OI provide support for the social identity theory.…”

“…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 .…”

Carroll’s pyramid of CSR: taking another look

“…She then added a new category and that would be identified as "personal integrity." She proposed that there could be at least four small business social responsibility pyramids -to self and family; to employees; to the local community; and to business partners (Spence 2016). Doubtless other researchers will continue to explore the applicability of the Pyramid of CSR to different global, situational, and organizational contexts.…”

A Structural Equation Model of CSR and Performance: Mediation by Innovation and Productivity

“…CSR practices may steer the wheel of innovation (Cegarra-Navarro et al, 2016;McWilliams et al, 2006;McWilliams & Siegel, 2001;Moon & Choi, 2014;Spence, 2016). Different theoretical backgrounds can be applicable to relation of CSR with firm's innovation and productivity output.…”