Corporate Social Responsibility Perception Among Developing Country SMEs: An Exploratory Study

This study seeks to explore the importance of CSR for SMEs in Malaysia and uncover the perception of Malaysian SMEs on CSR.

This research is based on qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with ten Malaysian SMEs. The interviews were conducted with the managing directors, managers or owners of the small companies.

The study examined the understanding of Malaysian SME owners on CSR and elaborated their perceptions about CSR terminology, the nature of CSR activities, motivation for engaging in CSR and promotion of CSR. Overall, despite good feedback on CSR practices among the SMEs, it is clear that there is still confusion about the real meaning of CSR concepts, which suggests that some of the respondents have narrow views of CSR.

Due to the nature of this study, it is difficult for the findings to be generalized. This study serves only as an exploratory study for other researchers to take up these issues. Future study can further extend the sample and use quantitative methods for better generalization.

This study could be one of the most important stepping stones towards in-depth understanding of Malaysian SMEs’ CSR attitude and behaviour. Understanding the SME’s CSR perception would be a useful platform for further action to be taken in promoting social responsibility among SMEs.