CSR and Competitiveness European SMEs - KMU Forschung Austria

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8 CSR and Competitiveness - European SMEs’ Good Practice - Consolidated European Report • Link between increased competitiveness and CSR • Innovative and non-standard measure On the basis of these criteria the international research team identified a variety of more than 80 potential case studies from which 35 (i.e. 5 per country) have been selected to be analysed indepth. Thereby, some “balancing criteria” have been taken into account to safeguard a heterogeneous picture of the case studies as refers company size class, sector/industry, CSR topic etc. The main characteristics of the analysed case studies can be found in the following table, a more detailed overview is given in Appendix 1. Table 1 Overview on analysed case studies Characteristics Number of analysed case studies By size class 1 Micro 4 Small 12 Medium-sized 19 By industry Construction 4 Manufacturing 16 Real estate, renting and business activities 8 Whole sale and retail trade, repair of motorvehicles, motorcycles and personal and households goods Others (education, financial intermediation, other community, social and personal service activities) By type of CSR activity (“target group”) 2 Workplace (employees) 3 Market (customers and/or suppliers/business partners) 4 Society 3 Comprehensive approach (combining at least two of the above) 25 1 micro = 0 – 9 employees; small = 10 – 49 employees; medium-sized = 50 – 249 employees 2 among the analysed case studies no initiative solely focusing on environmental activities was identified; nevertheless, many of the comprehensive approaches include measures targeting at the environment Source: Austrian Institute for SME Research Both, the context analysis as well as the detailed case studies have been included in individual national reports for the 7 countries under consideration. Furthermore, on the basis of the included literature and secondary data as well as the analysed case studies, national conclusions have been derived with regard to SMEs’ engagement in CSR and the relationship between CSR activities and the companies’ competitiveness. This consolidated European report constitutes a compilation of the national reports, partly supplemented by a supra-national perspective at European level. Chapter 3 provides a brief overview on what is generally understood by “Corporate Social Responsibility” at European level and within the countries covered in this study, respectively. Thereby, also shifts of emphasis over time are considered. Furthermore, forms and types of CSR in terms of “potential target groups” in general and for SMEs in particular are dealt with. Chapter 4 shows the most important public and semi-public actors dealing with CSR issues at European and/or national/regional level as well as their major strategies/measures as to this regard. This is not supposed to constitute a taxative list of all relevant entities. It rather intends to pinpoint what kind of (semi-)public bodies may be approached by SMEs, if they seek for support with regard 4 3
CSR and Competitiveness - European SMEs’ Good Practice - Consolidated European Report 9 to implementing CSR measures. Chapter 5 deals with the deployment of CSR in SMEs by not only assessing the extent of respective activities, but also screening SMEs’ decision making process (i.e. favouring and hindering factors) and the characteristics of the measures. The findings are illustrated by relevant aspects the identified “Good Practice” company case studies. The full case studies can be found in the national reports. Chapter 6 shows potential effects of SMEs’ CSR measures on the companies’ competitiveness as well as on the various target groups. Finally, in chapter 7 the previous findings are synthesised and conclusions (in terms of recommendations for both, companies and policy makers) are derived.
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Appendix 1 - Overview on the Analys
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Country Germany Company name Die M
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Country Norway Company name Maja’
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Country Romania Romania Romania Rom
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Country Company name Spain Paver S.
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