Skip to main content
Log in

Editorial: Responsibility and Small Business

  • Editorial
  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Benmore G., Palmer A. (1996). Human Resource Management in Small Firms: Keeping it strictly informal. Small Business and Enterprise Development 3(2):109–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Besser T., Miller N. (2001). Is the Good Corporation Dead? The Community Social Responsibility of Small Business Operators. Journal of Socio-Economics 33:221–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenkert, G.: 2002, ‘Entrepreneurship, Ethics, and the Good Society’, The Ruffin Series No. 3: Ethics and Entrepreneurship, Society for Business Ethics, 5–43.

  • Brown D. J., King J. B. (1982). Small Business Ethics: Influences and Perceptions. Journal of Small Business Management 20(1):11–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr P. (2003). Revisiting the Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism: Understanding the Relationship between Ethics and Enterprise. Journal of Business Ethics 47(1):7–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castka P., Balzarova M. A., Bamber C. J., Sharp J. M. (2004). How Can SMEs Effectively Implement the CSR Agenda? A UK Case Study Perspective. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 11(3):140–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chrisman J. J., Archer R. W. (1984). Small Business Social Responsibility: Some Perceptions and Insights. American Journal of Small Business IX(2):46–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Curran J., Blackburn R. (1994). Small Firms and Local Economic Networks: The Death of the Local Economy. Paul Chapman Publishing, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Curran J., Rutherfoord R., Lloyd Smith S. (2000). Is There a Local Business Community? Explaining the Non-participation of Small Business in Local Economic Development. Local Economy 15(3):128–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson S., Breen J., Satyen L. (2002). The Ethical Outlook of Micro Business Operators. Journal of Small Business Management 40(4):302–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dean T., Brown R., Bamford C. (1998). Differences in Large and Small Firm Responses to Environmental Context: Strategic Implications From a Comparative Analysis of Business Formations. Strategic Management Journal 19(8):709–728

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doherty N., Tyson S. (2000). HRM and Employee Well-being: Raising the Ethical Stakes. In: Winstanley D., Woodall J. (eds) Ethical Issues in Contemporary Human Resource Management. Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 102–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Enderle G. (2004). Global Competition and Corporate Responsibilities of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Business Ethics: A European Review 13(1):50–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2003). Responsible Entrepreneurship A Collection of Good Practice Cases Among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Across Europe. DG Enterprise, European Communities, Luxemburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagenson E. (1993). Personal Value Systems of Men and Women Entrepreneurs Versus Managers. Journal of Business Venturing 8(5):409–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fassin Y. (2005). The Reasons Behind Non-Ethical Behaviour in Business and Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics 60(3):265–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M.: 1970, ‘The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits’, The New York Times Magazine, September, pp. 13, 32–33, 122–126.

  • Goffee R., Scase R. (1995). Corporate Realities: The Dynamics of Large and Small Organisations. International Thomson Business Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Goss D. (1991). Small Business and Society. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Graafland J., van de Ven B., Stoffele N. (2003). Strategies and Instruments for Organising CSR by Small and Large Businesses in the Netherlands. Journal of Business Ethics 47(1):45–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamann R., Agbazue T., Kapelus P., Hein A. (2005). Universalizing Corporate Social Responsibility? South African Challenges to the International Organization for Standardization’s New Social Responsibility Standard. Business and Society Review 110(1):1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugh H., McKee L. (2004). The Cultural Paradigm of the Smaller Firm. Journal of Small Business Management 42(4):377–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson A., Chaston I. (1994). Environmental Management in Devon and Cornwall’s Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Sector. Business Strategy and the Environment 3(1):15–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Janjuha-Jivraj S. (2003). The Sustainability of Social Capital within Ethnic Networks. Journal of Business Ethics 47(1):31–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janjuha-Jivraj, S. and L. J. Spence: 2006, ‘The Nature of Reciprocity in Family Firm Succession’, in Ethics and Entrepreneurship Conference (Carlson School, University of Minnesota, April).

  • Jenkins H. (2004). A Critique of Conventional CSR Theory: An SME Perspective. Journal of General Management 29(4):55–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones T. (1991). Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-contingent Model. Academy of Management Review 16(2):366–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones T., McEvoy D., Barrett G. (1994). Labour Intensive Practices in the Ethnic Minority Firm. In: Atkinson J., Storey D. (eds), Employment, The Small Firm, and the Labour Market. Routledge, London, pp.172–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Joseph E. (2000). A Welcome Engagement: SMEs and Social Inclusion. Institute of Public Policy Research, Southampton

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotey B., Slade P. (2005). Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management 43(1):16–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, M., M. Pfitzer and P. Lee: 2005, Competitive Social Responsibility: Uncovering the Economic Rationale for Corporate Social Responsibility among Danish Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Foundation Strategy Group and Center for Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University).

  • Lahdesmaki M. (2005). When Ethics Matters – Interpreting the Ethical Discourse of Small Nature-Based Entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Ethics 61(1):55–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris M., Schindehutte M. (2005). Entrepreneurial Values and the Ethnic Enterprise: An Examination of Six Subcultures. Journal of Small Business Management 43(4):453–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perren L. (1998). Owner–manager Relationships Preceding and During Start-up: Issues of Help, Harm, Trust and Morality. Small Business and Enterprise Development 5(2):160–140

    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 

  • Ram M. (1999). Managing Autonomy: Employment Relations in Small Professional Service Firms. International Small Business Journal 17(2):13–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ram M., Smallbone D. (2003). Supplier Diversity Initiatives and the Diversification of Ethnic Minority Businesses in the UK. Policy Studies 24(4):187–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts S. (2003). Supply Chain Specific? Understanding the Patchy Success of Ethical Sourcing Initiatives. Journal of Business Ethics 44(2/3):159–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solymossy E., Masters J. (2002). Ethics Through an Entrepreneurial Lens: Theory and Observation. Journal of Business Ethics 38(3):227–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Southwell C. (2004). Engaging SMEs in Community and Social Issues. In: Spence L. J., Habisch A., Schmidpeter R. (eds), Responsibility and Social Capital: The World of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Palgrave MacMillan, Hampshire, pp. 96–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J. (1999). Does Size Matter? The State of the Art in Small Business Ethics. Business Ethics: A European Review 8(3):163–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J. (2000). Practices, Priorities and Ethics in Small Firms. Institute of Business Ethics, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J. (2004). Small Firm Accountability and Integrity. In: Brenkert G. (eds), Corporate Integrity and Accountability. Sage, London, pp. 115–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, L. J.: (2006), Ethical Issues in the UK Domestic Supply Chain (Institute of Business Ethics, London).

  • Spence L. J., Coles A.-M., Harris L. (2001). The Forgotten Stakeholder? Ethics and Social Responsibility in Relation to Competitors. Business and Society Review 106(4):331–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J., Jeurissen R., Rutherfoord R. (2000). Small Business and the Environment in the UK and the Netherlands: Towards Stakeholder Cooperation. Business Ethics Quarterly 10(4):945–965

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J., Rutherfoord R. (2001). Social Responsibility, Profit Maximisation and the Small Firm Owner–Manager. Small Business and Enterprise Development 8(2):126–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J., Rutherfoord R. (2003). Small Business and Empirical Perspectives in Business Ethics: Editorial. Journal of Business Ethics 47(1):1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J., Schmidpeter R. (2003). SMEs, Social Capital and the Common Good. Journal of Business Ethics 45(1–2):93–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence L. J., Schmidpeter R., Habisch A. (2003). Assessing Social Capital: Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the UK and Germany. Journal of Business Ethics 47(1):17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teal E., Carroll A. (1999). Moral Reasoning Skills: Are Entrepreneurs Different? Journal of Business Ethics 19(3):229–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tencati A., Perrini F., Pogutz S. (2004). New Tools to Foster Corporate Socially Responsible Behaviour. Journal of Business Ethics 53(1–2):173–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilley F. (1999). The Gap Between The Environmental Attitudes and The Environmental Behaviour of Small Firms. Business Strategy and the Environment 8(4):238–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilley F. (2000). Small Firm Environmental Ethics: How Deep Do they Go? Business Ethics: A European Review 9(1):31–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilley F. (2003). Sustainability and Competitiveness: Are there Mutual Advantages for SMEs? In Jones O., Tilley F. (eds), Competitive Advantage in SMEs: Organising for Innovation and Change. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, pp. 71–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson J., Smith H. (1991). Social Responsibility and Small Business: Suggestions for Research. Journal of Small Business Management 29(1):30–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Uhlaner L., van Goor-Balk H., Masurel E. (2004). Family Business and Corporate Social Responsibility in a Sample of Dutch Firms. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 11(2):186–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vyakarnam S. B., Myers A., Burnett D. (1997). Towards an Understanding of Ethical Behaviour in Small Firms. Journal of Business Ethics 16(5):1625–1636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson E. (1980). Social Responsibility of Business: What Are the Small Business Perspectives. Journal of Small Business Management 18(3):17–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Worthington I., Ram M., Jones T. (2006). Giving Something Back: A Study of Corporate Social Responsibility in UK South Asian Small Enterprises. Business Ethics: A European Review 15(1):95

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Geoff Moore.

Additional information

Geoff Moore is Professor of Business Ethics at Durham Business School, Durham University, U.K. His previous papers include contributions to stakeholder versus shareholder theory, corporate moral agency, corporate philanthropy, corporate social versus financial performance, Fair Trade and the application of modern virtue ethics to business.

Laura J. Spence is Reader in Business Ethics at Brunel Business School, Brunel University, U.K. where she is a member of BRESE (Brunel Research in Enterprise, Innovation, Sustainability and Ethics). She is Section Editor (Small Business and Entrepreneurship) of the Journal of Business Ethics and has published in the business ethics and small business literatures. Her most recent book is `Responsibility and Social Capital: The World of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises’, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 (edited with A. Habisch and R. Schmidpeter).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, G., Spence, L. Editorial: Responsibility and Small Business. J Bus Ethics 67, 219–226 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9180-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9180-8

Navigation