CSR as a framework for sustainability in SMEs: The relationship between company size, industrial sector, and triple bottom line activities

Abstract

Theoretical backgroundCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a very topical issue for companies around the world. In the European context, CSR is especially significant due to legislative demands for its reporting. CSR can positively impact organisations in terms of competitiveness, employer branding, and financial performance. The theoretical background of this study is based on the CSR pillars, which are social, economic, and environmental CSR activities. PurposeThe research aimed to investigate the awareness of CSR among Czech companies and to report the frequency of CSR activities. The purpose of the investigation was to analyse the relationship between the characteristics of companies and the realisation of CSR activities. Research methodologyA quantitative study among 1703 Czech companies focused on their knowledge of CSR, its implementation in corporate strategy, and the realisation of individual CSR activities. Analysis of variance and logistic regression were used with predictors: company size, industry in which it operates, and differences in time between data collection rounds. Main resultsThe results showed the effect of company size and industry sector on both the knowledge of CSR issues and the number of activities realized in the individual CSR pillars. The results further describe in detail the relationship between company characteristics and specific CSR activities. Originality/valueCSR practices in Czech SMEs have not been adequately covered in existing studies. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the frequency of implementation of CSR activities among Czech companies. Research limitationsThe present study provides a large sample of companies selected proportionally to their representation in the Czech Republic, which resulted in an imbalance in the individual characteristics of the companies in the sample. The study is also limited by three main independent variables and cannot provide extensive insight into all influences. Practical implicationsThe results can be used by companies to benefit from comparing themselves with other market participants or with the average situation in the monitored markers. They are also useful for further comparison between countries and for analysing the development of CSR activities over time.© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of the College of Management, National Cheng Kung University. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).