Exploring the integration of corporate social responsibility into the strategies of small- and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic literature review

A marked increase has taken place in the past two decades in the volume of research undertaken into the procedures used, and issues encountered, by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into their business strategies. In the present study, we uncover, by means of a systematic literature review (n = 118), a growing conceptual and terminological fragmentation of the nomenclature used to capture notions surrounding areas of business responsibility that are specific to smaller business. Likewise, as a result of this, a diverse selection of terms are used by scholars in the field as alternatives to the term “CSR”. This practice hinders consolidation in the field. Here, we use a qualitative content analysis approach to explore the different expressions used to characterize CSR in the context of SME strategy. We then categorize the academic literature into 4 overarching topics: (1) “Ethical values and social connections/relationships of the entrepreneur or owner-manager”, (2) “Relevance of business context and long-term performance”, (3) “Importance of formal processes for CSR integration”, and (4) “Political issues with relevance to CSR”. This categorization serves as a basis for future research: by consolidating a fragmented field, it offers a comprehensive foundation on which to base future conceptual and empirical efforts into evaluating the various ways in which SMEs integrate CSR into their strategies.