Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Corporate Social Responsibility in Challenging Times: A Consideration of How Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Attempt to Deal with CSR Challenges in Nigeria

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Corporate Social Responsibility in Times of Crisis

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

  • 1608 Accesses

Abstract

There is now a growing recognition of the importance of socially and environmentally responsible enterprises. Businesses are increasingly seen to address and inculcate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives into their business models/strategies. In-spite of associated benefits of CSR, businesses encounter challenges in their quest to engage in CSR activities and in some circumstance prevented from active CSR engagement. The study focuses on challenges experienced by male and female SME owner/managers when undertaking CSR related activities and explores the perception of SME owner/managers on how to overcome these challenges. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in African countries from a Nigerian perspective. The literature review draws on the CSR and entrepreneurship literature in arriving at a working theoretical base for the study. The study adopts a mixed method approach in order to collect data. The first stage of the data collection involved the use of face-to-face questionnaires with SME owner/managers. In total 371 entrepreneurs in Lagos Nigeria took part in the questionnaire survey. The second stage of the data collection involved the use of semi-structured interviews with 64 SME owner/managers who took part in the questionnaire survey. The finding obtained shows mixed responses from the male and female SME owner/managers about the challenges experienced and their perception on strategies to overcome CSR related challenges. The study makes useful contributions to the growing body of literature in this area in Nigeria, by filling gaps in the literature on SME CSR practices, challenges experienced and strategies adopted in overcoming such challenges. The study therefore contributes a theoretical perspective on which future research and policy initiative can be developed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aguilera, R. V., Filatotchev, I., & Gregory Jackson, H. G. (2008). An organisational approach to comparative corporate governance: Costs, contingencies and complementarities. Organisation Science, 19(3), 475–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amaeshi, K., Adi, B., Ogbechie, C., & Amao, O. (2006). Corporate social responsibility in Nigeria: Western mimicry or indigenous influence? Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=896500 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.896500.

  • Babbie, E. (2010). The basics of social research (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, Wadsworth Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, J. (1993). Doing your research project. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blomback, A., & Wigren, C. (2009). Challenging the importance of size as determinants for CSR activities. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 20(3), 255–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2011). Business research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, R. B. (2000). Introduction to research methods (4th ed.). French Forest, Australia: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carney, M., Gedajlovic, E., & Sujit, S. (2011). Corporate governance and stakeholder conflict. Journal of Management and Governance, 15, 483–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34, 39–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed.). Boston: Irwin Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coppa, M., & Siramesh, K. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility among SME’s in Italy. Public Relations Review, 39, 30–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J., Clark, V., Gutmann, M., & Hanson, W. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, T., & Preston, L. E. (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence and implications. Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 65–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fassin, Y. (2008). SMEs and the fallacy of formalising CSR. Business Ethics: A European Review, 17(4), 364–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston: Pitman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. E. (1994). The politics of stakeholder theory: Some future directions. Business Ethics Quarterly, 4(4), 409–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gatto, A. C. (2002). The European Union and Corporate Social Responsibility: Can the E U contribute to the accountability of multinational enterprise? Institute of International Law, Working Paper No. 32, September. Retrieved from https://www.law.kuleuven.be/iir/nl/onderzoek/wp/WP32e.pdf (February 14, 2011)

  • Gill, J., & Johnson, P. (2010). Research methods for manager (4th ed.). London: Paul Chapman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giovanna, C., De Massis, A., & Lucio, C. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility: A survey among SME’s in Bergamo. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 62, 325–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harmful Waste (special Criminal Provisions) Act. (1988). Available at: http://www.placng.org/new/laws/H1.pdf (Last accessed 06/04/2015).

  • Hsu, J., & Cheng, M. (2012). What prompts small and medium enterprises to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility? A study from Taiwan. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 19(5), 288–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ihugba, B. (2012). Compulsory regulation of CSR: A case study of Nigeria. Journal of Politics and Law; Canadian Center of Science and Education, 5(2), 68–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, D. (2009). Constraints and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Gender Management Journal, 24(4), 232–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, D., Safieddine, A., & Rabbath, M. (2009). Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility: Synergies and inter-relationships. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16(5), 443–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, H. (2004). A critique of conventional CSR theory: An SME perspective. Journal of General Management, 29(4), 37–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, H. (2006). Small business champions for Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 241–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keinert, C. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility as an International Strategy. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuratko, D. F., & Hodgetts, R. M. (2007). Entrepreneurship: Theory and process, practice (7th ed.). Mason, OH: Thompson South Western Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lagos State Climate Change Policy. (2012). Available at: http://developmentdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lagos-State-Climate-Change-Policy-First-Draft_27.03.2012.pdf (Accessed 28/05/2015).

  • Lee, M. (2008). A review of the theories of corporate social responsibility: Its evolutionary path and the road ahead. International Journal of Management Reviews, 10, 53–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepoutre, J., & Heene, A. (2006). Investigating the impact of firm size on small business social responsibility: A critical review. Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 257–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, A., Fields, R., & Adedoyin, O. (2013). Chairman/CEO duality and its effects for the management of corporate governance in Guayana. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(20), 36–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, A., Adedoyin, O., & Croad, J. (2015). Fostering Corporate Social Responsibility among Nigerian small and medium scale enterprises. In S. O. Idowu (Ed.), Corporate Social Responsibility: A global dimension of key initiatives implemented by corporate entities. Germany: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacNealy, M. (1999). Strategies for empirical research in writing. New York: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maitland, A. (2002, May 16). Affordable responsibility: Small suppliers. Financial Times, 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, N. K. (2010). Marketing research: An applied orientation (6th ed.). Indiana, USA: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallin, C. A. (2015). Corporate governance (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuire, J. W. (1963). Business and society. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mordi, C., Opeyemi, I., Tonbara, M., & Ojo, S. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility and the legal regulation in Nigeria. Economic Insights—Trends and Challenges, LXIV(1), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murillo, D., & Lozano, J. (2006). SMEs and CSR: An approach to CSR in their own words. Journal of Business Ethics, 67, 227–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muthuri, J. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa definition, issues and processes. In T. Lituchy, B. J. Punnett, & B. Puplampu (Eds.), Management in Africa macro and micro perspectives. New York: Taylor & Francis Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistic. (2014). Nigerian unemployment rate. Available at: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/unemployment-rate

  • Nigerian Criminal Code Act. (1990). Available at: http://www.nigeria-law.org/Criminal%20Code%20Act-Tables.htm (Last accessed 18/05/2015)

  • Nigerian National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act. (2007). Available at: http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/nig120569.pdf (Last accessed 01/03/2015).

  • OECD Investment Policy Reviews OECD Investment Policy Reviews: Nigeria. (2015). OECD Publishing. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=A_BzCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA248&lpg=PA248&dq=Supervisory+Intervention+Guideline+%282011%29+Nigeria&source=bl&ots=oo_3dSIWPG&sig=pVrAinBnKTam4hNLW334daSbJR4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT3dDts8rLAhUI0RQKHRpHCa8Q6AEIPDAF#v=onepage&q=Supervisory%20Intervention%20Guideline%20%282011%29%20Nigeria&f=false (Accessed November 2015).

  • Okeahalam, C. C., & Akinboade, O. A. (2003). A review of corporate governance in Africa: Literature, issues and challenges. Paper presented for the Global Corporate Governance Forum, 1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oppenhiem, A. N. (1992). Questionnaire design and attitude measurement. London: Heinemann Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz, A., & Kuhne, S. (2008). Implementing responsible business behavior from a Strategic Management Perspective: Developing a framework for Austrian SME’s. Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 463–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrini, F., Russo, A., Tencati, A., & Vurro, C. (2007, July). Going beyond a long-lasting debate: What is behind the relationship between corporate social and financial performance? Working paper, Bocconi University, Milano.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, J. J. (1997). Personal ethics and business ethics: The ethical attitudes of owner/managers of small business. Journal of Business Ethics, 16(2), 119–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russo, A., & Perrini, F. (2010). Investigating stakeholder theory and social capital: CSR in large firms and SMEs. Journal of Business Ethics, 91, 207–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students (5th ed.). London: Pitman.

    Google Scholar 

  • SMEDAN. (2007). National policy on micro. Abuja: Small and Medium Enterprises.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, L. (2004). Small firm accountability and integrity. In G. Brenkert (Ed.), Corporate integrity and accountability (pp. 115–128). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sweeney, L. (2007). Corporate social responsibility in Ireland: Barriers and opportunities experienced by SMEs when undertaking CSR. Corporate Governance, 7(4), 516–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). (2002). Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications for small and medium enterprises in developing countries. Available from http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/import/userfiles/puffk/corporatesocialresponsibility.pdf (Last accessed 28/04/2015).

  • Woldie, A., Leighton, P., & Adesua, A. (2008). Factors influencing small and medium enterprises (SME's) in Nigeria: An exploratory study of owner/manager and firm characteristics. Journal of Banks and Bank System, 3.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Adebimpe Lincoln

Authors
  1. Adebimpe Lincoln
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adebimpe Lincoln .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Guildhall School of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom

    Samuel O. Idowu

  2. School of Applied Social Studies, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

    Stephen Vertigans

  3. Economics and Business Administration, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania

    Adriana Schiopoiu Burlea

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lincoln, A. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility in Challenging Times: A Consideration of How Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Attempt to Deal with CSR Challenges in Nigeria. In: Idowu, S., Vertigans, S., Schiopoiu Burlea, A. (eds) Corporate Social Responsibility in Times of Crisis. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52839-7_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation