An investigation of Turkish small and medium‐sized enterprises online CSR communication

Abstract

PurposeThis study, according to the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication and the technological revolution of the last decade, aims to investigate the online CSR communication of the SMEs.Design/methodology/approachAccording to the study's purpose and character, the data are collected from the websites of SMEs. The firms are chosen randomly from a database of a web portal for SMEs. The websites in the sample are examined in order to explore the nature and the extent of information on CSR activities and style of presentation.FindingsThe findings showed that the number of SMEs with CSR information on their websites is very low. The SMEs do not use the potential of their websites to their advantage in terms of the quantity and style. However, the study offers an overview of different CSR activities and communication styles of these activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research used a sample from an SME web portal database with the result that it makes it difficult to generalize the results but they are in coherence with the results of similar studies.Practical implicationsThe study enriches the extant literature and provides future research areas as well as insights and basic principles for managerial use for better usage of the web. Online CSR activities that organizations may find interesting and hints to improve websites for a better style and image of good corporate citizenship are also discussed.Originality/valueThe study explores in the Turkish context the current situation of online CSR communication and shows that even the SMEs are increasingly concerned with communicating ethically and responsibly to the diversity of stakeholders through the web.