Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

‘Old Wine in New Bottles’? The Meaning and Drivers of CSR in SMEs in a Transition Economy

  • Chapter
Book cover International Business

Part of the book series: The Academy of International Business ((AIB))

  • 653 Accesses

Abstract

Over the last five decades, few topics have attracted the attention of both academics and business practitioners as much as the issue of CSR, which has been widely seen as the interplay between global and local legitimacies, shaping corporate structures and influencing decision processes (Gjølberg, 2009). A quick review of the top journals in international business and international management science reveal that CSR scholarship has taken different shapes and forms through the years, applying a wide range of theoretical frameworks. Academics and practitioners have approached the issue by applying different theoretical perspectives, placing small, medium or multinational companies at the centre of their studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aguilera, R.V. and Jackson, G. (2003) ‘The Cross-national Diversity of Corporate Govern- ance: Dimensions and Determinants’, Academy of Management Review, 28 (3), 447–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguilera, R.V., Williams, C.A., Conley, J. M. and Rupp, D. E. (2006) ‘Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility: A Comparative Analysis of the UK and the US’, Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility, 14 (3), 147–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barlett, W. and Rangelova, R. (1997) ‘Small Firms and Economic Transformation in Bulgaria’, Small Business Economics, 9, 319–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. L. (2006) ‘Institutional Analysis and the Paradox of Corporate Social Responsibility’, American Behavioral Scientist, 49 (7), 925–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A. B. (1979) ‘A Three-Dimensional Conceptual Model of Corporate Social Performance’, Academy of Management Review, 4 (4), 497–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A. B (1999) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Evolution of a Definitional Construct’, Business Society, 38 (3), 268–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciliberti, F., Pontrandolfo, P. and Scozzi, B. (2008) ‘Investigating Corporate Social Responsibility in Supply Chains: A SME Perspective’, Journal of Cleaner Production 16 (15), 1579–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L. J. (2008) Corporate Social Responsibility. Readings and Causes in a Global Context (Abingdon: Routledge), 92–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlsrud, A. (2008) ‘How Corporate Social Responsibility is Defined: An Analysis of Definitions’, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 15 (1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, I. A. and Crane, A. (2010) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in Small-and Mediumsize Enterprises: Investigating Employee Engagement in Fair Trade Companies’, Business Ethics: A European Review, 19 (2), 126–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Baldo, M. (2010) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance in Italian SMEs: The Experience of Some “Spirited Businesses” ’, International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2 (3), 215–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiMaggio, P. J. and Powell, W. W. (1983) The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Doh, J., Husted, B. W., Matten, D. and Santoro, M. (2010) ‘Ahoy There! Towards Greater Congruence and Synergy between International Business and Business Ethics Theory and Research’, Business Ethics Quarterly, 20 (3), 481–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2001) ‘Promoting a European framework for corporate social responsibility, Green paper’ [online] Available at: [Accessed 20 June 2010].

    Google Scholar 

  • Falck, O. and Heblich, S. (2007) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing Well by Doing Good’, Business Horizons, 50, 247–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederick, W. C. (1994) ‘From CSR1 to CSR2: The Maturing of Business and Society Thought’, Business and Society, 33 (3), 150–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fulop, G., Hisrich, R. D. and Szegedi, K. (2000) ‘Business Ethics and Social Responsibility in Transition Economies’, Journal of Management Development, 19 (1), 5–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Y. (2009) ‘Corporate Social Performance in China: Evidence from Large Companies’, Journal of Business Ethics, 89, 23–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garriga, E. and Mele, D. (2004) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Theories: Mapping the Territory’, Journal of Business Ethics, (1–2), 51–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gjølberg, M. (2009) ‘The Origin of Corporate Social Responsibility: Global Forces or National Legacies?’, Socio-Economic Review, 7 (4), 605–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, J. J. and Weber, J. (2006) ‘Industry Social Analysis: Examining the Beer Industry’, Business and Society, 45 (4), 413–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Husted, B. W. and Allen, D. B. (2006) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in the Multinational Enterprise: Strategic and Institutional Approaches’, Journal of International Business Studies, 37, 838–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, D. and Mirshak, R. (2007) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Theory and Practice in a Developing Country Context’, Journal of Business Ethics, 72, 243–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, D., Zanhour, M. and Keshishian, T. (2009) ‘Peculiar Strengths and Relational Attributes of SMEs in the Context of CSR’, Journal of Business Ethics, 87, 355–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, H. (2006) ‘Small Business Champions for Corporate Social Responsibility’Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 241–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koleva, P., Rodet-Kroichvili, N., David, P. and Marasova, J. (2010) ‘Is Corporate Social Responsibility the Privilege of Developed Market Economies? Some Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21 (2), 274–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korka, M. (2005) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in Romania: From Theory to Practice’, Transition Studies Review, 12 (1), 47–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kostova, T. (1997) ‘Country Institutional Profile: Concept and Measurement’, Academy of Management Best Paper Proceeding, 180–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kostova, T. and Zaheer, S. (1999) ‘Organizational Legitimacy under Conditions of Complexity: The Case of the Multinational Enterprise’, Academy of Management Review, 24 (1), 64–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindgreen, A., Swaen, V. and Johnston, W. L. (2008) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: An Empirical Investigation of U.S. Organizations’, Journal of Business Ethics, 85 (2), 303–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luetkenhorst, W. (2004) ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and the Development Agenda:The Case for Actively Involving Small and Medium Enterprises’, Intereconomics, 39 (3), 157–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matten, D. and Moon, J. (2008) ‘ “Implicit” and “Explicit” CSR: A Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility’, Academy of Management Review, 33 (2), 404–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michailova, S. (2004) ‘Contextualising Fieldwork: Reflections on Conducting Research in Eastern Europe’ in Marschan-Piekkari, R. and Welch, C. (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods for International Business (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited), 365–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morsing, M. and Perrini, F. (2009) ‘CSR in SMEs: Do SMEs Matter for the CSR Agenda?’, Business Ethics: A European Review, 18 (1), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murillo, D. and Lozano, J. M. (2006) ‘SMEs and CSR: An Approach to CSR in Their Own Words’, Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 227–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, C. (1997) ‘Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Combining Institutional and Resource-Based Views’, Strategic Management Journal, 18 (9), 697–713.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padelford, W. and White, D. W. (2010) ‘The Influence of Historical Socialism and Communism on the Shaping of a Society’s Economic Ethos: An Exploratory Study of Central and Eastern Europe’, Journal of Business Ethics, 97, 109–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrini, F. (2006) ‘SMEs and CSR Theory: Evidence and Implications from an Italian Perspective’, Journal of Business Ethics, 91, 207–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russo, A. and Perrini, F. (2010) ‘Investigating Stakeholder Theory and Social Capital: CSR in Large Firms and SMEs’, Journal of Business Ethics, 91, 207–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salzmann, O., Ionescu-Somers, A. and Steger, U. (2005) ‘The Business Case for Corporate Sustainability: Literature Review and Research Options’, European Management Journal, 23 (1), 27–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1987) ‘The Adolescence of Institutional Theory’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 32 (4), 493–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1995) Institutions and Organizations (London: Sage Publications).

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, L. J. (1999) ‘Does Size Matter? The State of the Art in Small Business Ethics’, Business Ethics: A European Review, 8 (3), 163–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence, L. J. and Schmidpeter, R. (2003) ‘SMEs, Social Capital and the Common Good’, Journal of Business Ethics, 45, 93–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilley, F. (2000) ‘Small Firm Environmental Ethics: How Deep Do They Go?’, Business Ethics: A European Review, 9 (1), 31–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitley, R. (1992) European Business systems: Firms and Markets in Their National Contexts (London: Sage).

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, D., Lynch-Wood, G. and Ramsay, J. (2006) ‘Drivers of Environmental Behaviour in Manufacturing SMEs and the Implications for CSR’, Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 317–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, D. J. (1991) ‘Corporate Social Performance Revisited’, Academy of Management Review, 16 (4), 591–718.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, D. J. and Jones, R. E. (1993) ‘Stakeholder Mismatching: A Theoretical Problem in Empirical Research on Corporate Social Performance’, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 3(3), 229–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, X. and Rivers, C. (2009) ‘Antecedents of CSR Practices in MNCs’ Subsidiary Stakeholder and Institutional Perspective’, Journal of Business Ethics, 86 (2), 155–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Veselina Stoyanova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Edinburgh Business School, UK

    Simon Harris  & Veselina Stoyanova  & 

  2. Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland

    Olli Kuivalainen

Copyright information

© 2012 Veselina Stoyanova

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Stoyanova, V. (2012). ‘Old Wine in New Bottles’? The Meaning and Drivers of CSR in SMEs in a Transition Economy. In: Harris, S., Kuivalainen, O., Stoyanova, V. (eds) International Business. The Academy of International Business. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137007742_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation