How can CSR practices lead to successful innovation in SMEs

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a widely used term in business. Recent studies in this area show that the implementation of appropriate CSR practices can produce a positive impact on the performance of an organisation. Furthermore, it is believed that there is a link between innovation and CSR related practices. Even though information in the area of CSR is widely available there is little evidence of previous work that explicitly addresses the link between CSR and innovation, within the context of SMEs in particular. The purpose of this research is to define the nature of this link and to increase awareness of sustainable CSR practices in SMEs by illustrating that these practices can generate real value to the business. The work described in this paper has an exploratory nature. It presents the findings from a fieldwork study and the initial version of a model that aims to clarify the link between CSR and innovation.