search query: @indexterm Case Studies / total: 2021
reference: 234 / 2021
Author: | Nielsen, A.E. Thomsen, C. |
Title: | Investigating CSR communication in SMEs: a case study among Danish middle managers |
Journal: | Business Ethics
2009 : JAN, VOL. 18:1, p. 83-93 |
Index terms: | corporate responsibility social responsibility communication small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) middle managers case studies Denmark Nordic countries Scandinavia |
Freeterms: | CSR |
Language: | eng |
Abstract: | This study aims to analyse small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers' representations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CSR communication in a corporate communication (hereafter as: c-comm.) perspective. It is questioned, how strategic is CSR communication in SMEs? C-comm. and CSR theories are used to build an ideal typology of CSR concepts informing an analysis of qualitative data through interviews with three middle managers in two Danish SMEs. A CSR communication model published earlier by the authors is challenged. For the analysis, results from an Internet-based questionnaire survey of over 1070 SMEs are used. It is shown that SME managers clearly have an inside-out approach to CSR, with a strong emphasis on the internal (corporate culture) dimension. Yet, SMEs and/or SME managers tend not to communicate externally about the CSR activities of the company. It is argued that CSR communication in SMEs is challenged by the global economy and is under revision. |
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