Effect of demographic characteristics of enterprises on the implementation of corporate social responsibility in SMEs context

Abstract

Research background: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a rapidly developing field within business management, the effects of which manifest themselves in the practical management of organisations. At present, research within academia is focusing on the analysis and evaluation of the demographic characteristics of enterprises on entrepreneurs’ attitudes towards the implementation of socially responsible business management practices. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is to quantify the influence of the demographic characteristics of an enterprise on the implementation of corporate social responsibility. Demographic characteristics, such as the country of business, company size, business sector, gender of the entrepreneur, their age and educational attainment level, are all thought to play important roles in this. Methods: The research was conducted in three European countries on a selected sample set. The research hypotheses were verified by non-parametric testing using the parametric One-way ANOVA test and the Scheffe method. Findings & value added: The results confirm that the country in which a company conducts its business activities and company size are significant factors affecting perceptions concerning the implementation of CSR. Entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic are significantly less likely to agree with the importance and implementation of CSR than entrepreneurs in Poland. Similar results were attained when comparing micro-enterprises and medium-sized enterprises, with micro-enterprises significantly less likely to agree with statements on CSR. Between men and women, no significant differences were found in their attitudes towards the incorporation of CSR into business management practices. The result was likewise with regards to the entrepreneur’s age. However, the business sector in which a company operates and the entrepreneur’s educational attainment level do have an influence on selected CSR indicators, with the impact on financial performance most positively perceived by those companies operating in retail. Those companies operating in the services sector attached the least importance to the implementation of CSR for acquiring new customers and improving financial performance than other sectors. Of interest is also the finding that enterprises run by owners or managers with lower levels of educational attainment neither perceive the concept of CSR nor the implementation thereof as a significant element of future business management.