Developing a measurement scale of corporate socially responsible entrepreneurship in sustainable management

Abstract

Two important lines of research come together in this paper: entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Both stand out for their ability to contribute to sustainable development and generate competitive and social advantages. This study combined both approaches under the concept of CSR entrepreneurship (CSRE). A scale was developed to assess corporate socially responsible entrepreneurs’ traits in corporate contexts (i.e., CSRE-s). This quantitative measurement instrument was initially composed of 84 items, which were subjected to various validity and reliability tests. Exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to identify the most significant determinant variables of individuals engaging in CSRE. The validated CSRE-s indicates that the corporate socially responsible entrepreneurship construct involves 6 entrepreneurship factors and 3 CSR dimensions—environmental, social, and economic—with 2 factors each (i.e., 6 factors), assessed by a total of 76 items. This research’s main contribution is the identification of CSRE features in entrepreneurs that together constitute an original, unique, and innovative framework for a sustainable development approach to entrepreneurship. The proposed conceptual model can be used to ensure the CSR values validated for the CSRE-s are incorporated into entrepreneurial training programs (i.e., universities), the public sector’s policies promoting entrepreneurship, and strategic business plans for expansion via entrepreneurship. The CSRE-s can be used to strengthen these three areas simultaneously, which should provide social advantages to all stakeholders via the sustainable management of entrepreneurial projects.