Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in SMEs: what we know, what we don’t know, and what we should know

Abstract

Scholarly discourses on CSR in SMEs are rapidly growing in volume in recent years; yet knowledge in this field of inquiry is fragmented across scientific journals, sectors, disciplines, and cultural and geographical contexts. This study aims to synthesize and summarize the divergent literature by proposing a state-of-the-art review for a period of 50 years (1970–2019). Using a systematic review, specifically content and cross-analyses techniques, we reviewed 166 scholarly articles, categorizing them into journal outlets, publication trends, research methods, themes of study, geographical and sectoral distributions, and theoretical usage to identify significant trends in the field. Findings show that (1) CSR research in SMEs is rapidly growing with over 136 peer-reviewed articles published in the last decade, appears significantly in top tier journals, and empirically based; (2) quantitative surveys and panel study designs dominate the field over other methodological designs such as qualitative case studies and conceptual models; (3) firm performance (financial, non-financial, and both) is the topic/theme frequently investigated, followed by drivers/antecedents, perception/knowledge awareness, and CSR green practice and ethics, in that order (4) studies are preponderately Europe-centric, multi-sectoral, and atheoretical; (5) there is a limited adoption and development of novel theories and linkage between the conceptual and empirical studies. These results shed significant insights on the theoretical, methodological, and contextual landscapes of CSR research in SMEs, thereby offering a synthesis of the fragmented knowledge in this vital research stream to researchers and journal editors, and tutors whose curriculum includes CSR. The study concludes with managerial insights about CSR adoption mechanisms for SME executives and practitioners and an innovative and relevant research agenda for future researchers.