University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

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drafting of an initial declaration of intent (CSR Policy), which may take the form of
voluntary agreement between the parties is desirable in order to outline a course of
work draws by the group for the coming years.
The second step of the approach should be the study of the local cluster and its
internal relationships between business and with respect to the outside, from the
economic, social and environmental standpoint. At this stage the following aspects
are important: the definition of a set of performance indicators; and the direct and
indirect recognition of the needs of local SMEs with respect to CSR. The information
collected should constitute a document of analysis and social/environmental
reporting, that could be mad or not public.
The third step would be the definition of a formalized program of initiatives geared
to implementation and dissemination to SMEs in the cluster of CSR
tools, (collective training, documentation management support, conduct internal
audits, identification of possible simplifications and economic benefits for businesses,
etc.); moreover, the construction of an external communication plan to enhance the
social - economic performance of the cluster.
The fourth step is to implement the previous phases. At this stage, a series of cluster
indicators relating to the overall performance of CSR should be monitored. These
indicators represent the basic element for the fifth and final phase, the follow up, in
which the working group should monitor the effectiveness of initiatives implemented
redefining new ones.
This approach, which outlines a circular path PDCA - Plan, Do, Check, Act to the
management, whether structured could reasonably assure the continuity of local
initiatives and ensure a good spread of CSR tools among SMEs cluster. For the
future, the capability of the three clusters to continue the promotion of CSR
initiatives at the local level is considered essential in order to fully assess the
effectiveness of the approach.
In terms of prospects, the research finally opened the possibility to investigate an
important aspect of the relationship between CSR and SMEs (particularly those
operating in traditional manufacturing sectors most affected by competition from
third countries): the relationship between competitiveness and the adoption of CSR
tools. Does CSR really allow to SMEs in the global market to obtain a competitive
advantage? This element is central to the Commission's new program "Responsible
competitiveness: fostering corporate social responsibility in European industrial
sectors" from which it will be interesting to assess what results may emerge.