The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).
Abstract
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly important to the
competitiveness of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs). A positive
relationship between the CSR activities of SMMEs and their enhanced
competitiveness exists, at least if a long-term perspective is adopted. Despite the
widespread practical and academic interest in CSR and its impact on the
competitiveness of SMMEs, few theoretical and empirical contributions could be
found. The main objective of this study was to highlight the CSR activities in South
African SMMEs and their effects on the society as well as challenges faced in
implementing these CSR activities. A structured, self-administered questionnaire
was distributed to 260 SMME respondents. The respondents were identified by
means of a purposive sampling technique, while the data was collected from 224
usable questionnaires. The results of the study indicated that adopting CSR
techniques by SMMEs increases their competitiveness on the market. The outcomes
of this study might assist SMMEs to effectively and responsibly administer their
activities to increase their competitiveness.