CSR and Competitiveness European SMEs - KMU Forschung Austria
CSR and Competitiveness European SMEs - KMU Forschung Austria
CSR and Competitiveness European SMEs - KMU Forschung Austria
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<strong>CSR</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Competitiveness</strong> - <strong>European</strong> <strong>SMEs</strong>’ Good Practice - Consolidated <strong>European</strong> Report 23<br />
Another Spanish example for a regional initiative refers to the programme “Xertatu” 36 of the<br />
provincial government of Bizkaia. Xertatu focuses its activities on small <strong>and</strong> medium-sized<br />
enterprises, pursuing several schemes to foster <strong>CSR</strong> (dissemination, methodology <strong>and</strong> guide<br />
for <strong>CSR</strong> implementation, pilot tests in about 110 companies, documentation <strong>and</strong> research,<br />
subsidies, participation in <strong>European</strong> projects etc.). In Germany, the federal states in general do<br />
not initiate <strong>CSR</strong> programmes on their own but rather support or co-operate with large semipublic<br />
organisations. However, the government of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia has<br />
on its own initiative installed an internet platform to facilitate the knowledge exchange on<br />
Corporate Citizenship <strong>and</strong> <strong>CSR</strong>. Furthermore, this government hosted a contest (ENTERPreis)<br />
to award <strong>CSR</strong> strategies <strong>and</strong> a conference to disseminate <strong>CSR</strong> Good Practice cases among<br />
<strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> large enterprises. In <strong>Austria</strong>, the Styrian government (together with the Styrian<br />
Business Promotion Agency <strong>and</strong> the Chamber of Commerce) launched an initiative offering<br />
consultancy, information, training <strong>and</strong> networking to enterprises <strong>and</strong> honoring sustainable <strong>and</strong><br />
environmental activities with different awards.<br />
4.2.2 Employers’ <strong>and</strong> Employees’ Representatives<br />
Due to the fact that <strong>CSR</strong> activities are supposed to be operated by enterprises, also<br />
entrepreneurs’ organisations increasingly become involved in the issue. It may be seen to be<br />
particularly advantageous, if the authority places specific attention to the concerns of <strong>SMEs</strong> in<br />
this field as is, for example, done by the <strong>Austria</strong>n Federal Chamber of Commerce trying, among<br />
other things, to raise <strong>SMEs</strong>’ awareness on <strong>CSR</strong>.<br />
The Confederation of Norwegian Business <strong>and</strong> Industry (NHO), the largest employer association<br />
within the private sector, has, for example, been the most active proponent of <strong>CSR</strong> in<br />
Norway <strong>and</strong> has taken considerable effort to define <strong>CSR</strong>. Many national official bodies refer to<br />
NHO’s definition when referring to <strong>CSR</strong>, including research in this field. The organisation has<br />
its own department of societal responsibility <strong>and</strong> actively promotes <strong>CSR</strong> in companies, e.g. by<br />
portraying “Good Practices” in order to familiarise the private sector with the concept.<br />
In Germany, various employers’ organisations jointly started the initiative “Freedom <strong>and</strong><br />
Responsibility” in 2001 to disseminate information on <strong>CSR</strong>, e.g. by hosting conferences <strong>and</strong><br />
awarding an annual prize to creative <strong>and</strong> successful enterprises that practice <strong>CSR</strong>. Furthermore,<br />
an internet platform to inform enterprises about the business case of <strong>CSR</strong> <strong>and</strong> to foster<br />
their engagement was established. Also the Chamber of Commerce <strong>and</strong> Industry of Romania<br />
CCIR (together with the United States Agency for International Development – USAID) run a<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in 2002 to familiarise companies with the <strong>CSR</strong><br />
concept <strong>and</strong> encourage them to actively participate in solving local community issues (e.g.<br />
equipment of schools with IT, provision of clothing to local unemployed persons etc.) by offering<br />
financial support for those activities (covering about one third of the total costs). Next to these<br />
programmes, CCIR organised a series of industry specific seminars on the application of <strong>CSR</strong><br />
in companies.<br />
The Polish National Chamber of Commerce (KIG) as well as the working group proEthics of the<br />
<strong>Austria</strong>n Federal Chamber of Commerce engaged in the development of a Code of Ethics for<br />
business activities <strong>and</strong> set activities to encourage entrepreneurs to comply with these rules.<br />
Similar was done by the High Council of Spanish Chambers of Commerce by publishing a <strong>CSR</strong><br />
guidebook for <strong>SMEs</strong> which aims to support <strong>SMEs</strong> in the process of adopting <strong>CSR</strong> practices. In<br />
addition, the report gives insightful examples of “Good Practices” so that companies are able to<br />
identify benefits from implemented <strong>CSR</strong> strategies. 37 In Spain, also an IT-based <strong>CSR</strong> guide has<br />
36<br />
Source: www.xertatu.net<br />
37<br />
In Spain, a Corporate Governance Code (orienting itself on the <strong>European</strong> Commission’s recommendations) for<br />
companies traded in the Stock Market has been released by the National Stock Market Commission (CNMV) in<br />
2006. However, 80 % of the respective companies rejected this Code arguing it was rather interventionist <strong>and</strong><br />
undermined businesses’ freedom of action.