Development of SMEs in an emerging economy: does corporate social responsibility matter?

摘要

Despite its importance in development of firms, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is rarely studied in the literature of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, the present study aims at investigating the correlation between CSR and development of SMEs to find a way to develop SMEs in a more responsible manner. This study followed a survey research design, and the statistical population of the study included 720 owners/managers of SMEs. The results indicated that there was a significantly positive correlation between all four dimensions of economic, legal, ethical and discretionary social responsibility and development of SMEs. Moreover, facilitating legislation and giving more authority to SME owners/managers for developing their enterprises are highly advised.