University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

CSR and SMEs
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While the emphasis of CSR has been on the social profile of large enterprises,
awareness is rising of the necessity for SMEs to promote a culture of the social
responsibility toward all the stakeholders. Some studies have underlined the
necessity for SMEs to adopt responsible behaviour in light of the strong bond that
these enterprises have with the local system (Harvey et al.1991: 229; Perrini 2008:
312).
The ability to create consent and to develop trust around the entrepreneurial project is
an essential element for such enterprises, as is the ability to develop relationships, by
virtue of the presence of a lot of SMEs in the Italian industrial zone. These
considerations impose the need to reinterpret CSR for such realities (Perrini 2007)
and seem to be motivating action in a lot of Italian public institutions 13 as European
political leaders look at CSR as an essential strategy to strengthen and re-launch the
European economic system 14 . This system is perceived as an alternative to the
American model of liberal capitalism, and is based on an elevated standard of quality
of life, equal opportunity, protection of the environment and attention to society.
Even if the CSR idea has been developed by and for big firms first, the European
Commission follows the “think small first” approach, so firms’ social responsibility
concept, practices and tools have to be shaped on the basis of SME features, as they
represent the most important part of European entrepreneurship.
In the European Multi-stakeholder Forum final report on CSR (2002-2004),
(European Commission 2005: 27) there are the following recommendations by the
European Commission in order to support the spread of CSR in SMEs:
• Raise SMEs’ sensitivity level and good practice knowledge
• Develop skills and competencies in order to integrate CSR in firms’ processes
• Ensure a CSR-favourable environment
The common denominator of all these interventions is the proposal to consider CSR
not as an additional aspect but instead as an integral part of enterprise management,
particularly of SMEs, which represents the most important part of the European
entrepreneurial world.
It is emphasized in literature that the attentiveness of SMEs to CSR is strongly
influenced by the individual values of the owner or manager. The ethical and social
values emerge as important factors that explain the involvement of small enterprises
in the practices of social responsibility (Observatory of European SMEs 2004: 282).
The adoption of CSR tools also seems to depend on the age of the enterprise, and the
13 The project of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (2005) has the purpose to promote the culture of CSR
inside the industrial system. The project is addressed above all to SMEs, to firms belonging to the industrial
district and to cooperatives, because these are the main actors of the Italian economy. It rests on the belief
that CSR is a valid tool for improving firm’ competitiveness over a long period. Confindustria, the Italian
association of firms, has realized a vademecum to spread the culture of CSR among SMEs (Confindustria
2007: 31).
14 The last report on the state of social responsibility underlines the importance of the adoption of socially
responsible strategies and tools for the competitiveness of SMEs (The State of Responsible Competitiveness
2007: 141). For a summary of such initiatives, we refer to Tencati et al. 2004.