Social Responsibility in Small and Medium Enterprises: Evidences from India

Abstract

Social responsibility is acquiring a place of prime importance among large and small firms alike. This paper attempts to, through an empirical survey, to explore the understanding, extent and motives of social responsiveness of Indian small and medium sized enterprises in the four manufacturing sectors - ‘ceramic pottery-ware’, ‘footwear’, ‘brassware’ and ‘sports goods’. The findings of the study indicate that the concept of CSR holds true in case of small and medium firms as well. They have almost similar CSR initiatives, which are apparently focussed more on the internal stakeholders. The prime motives for engaging in social responsible behaviour are confined to having a satisfied workforce, conforming to regulatory norms, and to build credibility as a responsible business entity thereby enhancing their acceptability across different markets