Do we really think small first? How to go further with CSR on micro enterprises

Abstract

There is a common opinion that micro enterprises, especially one-person enterprises, are simply too small to deal with CSR on a professional level. But do programs, initiatives and tools for mainstreaming CSR among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) meet the needs of micro enterprises at all? Do research and support programs take into consideration the organizational specifics on small SMEs and even one-person enterprises? Obviously there is a gap in the current discourse on CSR regarding micro enterprises. Certainly this article can’t fill this gap. But it should provide a broader picture on CSR in micro enterprises and deliver some ideas on what can be done in order to encourage micro enterprises for a more sustainable management, because the smallest enterprises are by far the largest group of businesses in the European Union.