Entrepreneurs’ personal values and CSR orientations: evidence from SMEs in Zambia

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurs’ personal values and corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientations among small- and medium-sized enterprises in a developing country, Zambia.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through questionnaires. Two linear regression models were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsSelf-transcendence values have a significant positive influence on socially oriented CSR but do not influence environmentally oriented CSR. Self-enhancement values do not affect social and environmental CSR orientations. Conservation values have a marginally positive influence on environmentally oriented CSR but no influence on socially oriented CSR. Finally, openness to change has a significant positive influence on environmentally orientated CSR but no influence on socially oriented CSR.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study relates to the sector from which the sample was drawn, other predictors of CSR orientations, use of cross-sectional data, and the replication of this study to validate its findings.Practical implicationsThe findings inform policy-makers, scholars, educators, and regulators on the importance of aligning personal values with environmental and social concerns, thereby influencing entrepreneurs’ CSR orientations for the well-being of society and the natural environment.Originality/valueThis paper shows the influence of personal values on CSR orientations among entrepreneurs in a hardly researched Sub-Saharan Africa country.