Social responsibility practices by SMEs at the bottom of the pyramid

[摘要] Purpose – The purpose of this research to provide insights into the underresearchedarea of social responsibility practises by SMEs at the bottom of thepyramid (BOP).Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from the literature, the researchexpands and builds on the previous work of Spence and Gilligan in explainingthe daily activities of owner-managers with respect to CSR at the BOP. Also thelink between ethic of care and CSR practises by SMEs at the BOP isestablished.Findings – The ethic of care and the owner-manager's values are the maindrivers of CSR at the BOP. Due to scarce resources, most of the CSR initiativesare linked to the core of the business. CSR is not used as a strategiccompetitive advantage business model. Also the CSR initiatives do not comefrom external pressure such as stakeholders, but are internal at a human level.The CSR practices are not linked to the bottom line; self-satisfaction is theultimate price.Originality/value – Given the limited literature on the social responsibilitypractices of by SMEs at the BOP, this research makes a contribution toincreasing the understanding of CSR initiatives by SMEs at the BOP, as well asto the BoP literature in general.Practical implications – The paper concludes by outlining the implications formanagers, policy-makers, and stakeholders, and advancing the agenda ofsocial responsibility for future research in the fields of both the BOP and SMEs.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria