Conversation about social responsibility: CSR reporting in SMEs

The literature on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting suggests that while large firms are likely to adopt formal approaches to reporting on their CSR activities to stakeholders, SMEs are likely to be more informal in their approaches. This research examines how SMEs report on their CSR activities and how this relates to three attributes of stakeholder theory: descriptive, instrumental and normative. Using a multiple case study research strategy, CSR reporting was examined in fifteen SMEs. The three attributes of stakeholder theory form the theoretical framework for analysing the case data. While descriptive attributes of stakeholder theory reflect how SMEs operate – including their CSR or lack thereof – SMEs that have implemented a formal CSR strategy express positions that are aligned with normative attributes of stakeholder theory, while SMEs that have not implemented a formal CSR strategy, but nevertheless report on CSR activities, are more closely aligned with instrumental stakeholder theory attributes. The findings offer important insights for theory and practice on how SMEs report on their CSR activities and how this relates to the three attributes of stakeholder theory.