Mapping the path of a gendered CSR: toward a specific framework for family SMEs
PDF

Keywords

gender, corporate social responsibility, SMEs family businesses

How to Cite

Costanza, F. ., Minà, A., & Paternostro, S. (2022). Mapping the path of a gendered CSR: toward a specific framework for family SMEs. Piccola Impresa Small Business, (3). https://doi.org/10.14596/pisb.2890
Received 2021-06-15
Accepted 2022-03-28
Published 2022-03-28

Abstract

Extant literature on gender equality issues and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is copious but fragmented. Additionally, it is mainly focused on large firms and public companies. There is, therefore, an opportunity to assess the ‘state of the art’ of existing inquiry. Through a content analysis of 104 papers, we identify key themes, methodological approaches, and phases of research development. These efforts converge on a conceptual framework bringing together the landscape of current knowledge, which we then adapt to shed light on gendered CSR in family SMEs, and to formulate a research agenda. With this research approach, we fit in the debate on gender diversity in family SMEs’, shedding light on the role of women in contributing to financial and non-financial performance; thereby we wish to provide a contribution to the call for papers “Piccola Impresa/Small Business - Women in Small and Medium Family Firms: Theory and Practice”.

https://doi.org/10.14596/pisb.2890
PDF

References

Adler, P., & Kwon, S.W. (2002). Social Capital: Prospects for a New Concept. Academy of Management Review, 27(1), 17-40.

Al-Shaer, H., & Zaman, M. (2016). Board gender diversity and sustainability reporting quality. Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, 12(3), 210-222.

Amorelli, M.F., & García-Sánchez, I.M. (2020). Critical mass of female directors, human capital, and stakeholder engagement by corporate social reporting. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(1), 204-221.

Arrive, J.T., & Feng, M. (2018). Corporate social responsibility disclosure: Evidence from BRICS nations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25, 920-927.

Astrachan, J.H., Klein S.B., & Smyrnios, K. X. (2002). The F-PEC scale of family influence: a proposal for solving the family business defination problem. Family Business Review, XV(1), 45-57.

Bear, S., Rahman, N., & Post, C. (2010). The Impact of Board Diversity and Gender Composition on Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Reputation. Journal of Business Ethics, 97 (2), pp. 207-221.

Brammer, S., Millington, A., & Rayton, B. (2007). The contribution of corporate social responsibility to organizational commitment. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18 (10), 1701-1719.

Cabeza-García, L., Fernández-Gago, & R., Nieto, M. (2018). Do Board Gender Diversity and Director Typology Impact CSR Reporting? European Management Review, 15(4), 559-575.

Calabrese, A., Costa, R., & Rosati, F. (2016) Gender differences in customer expectations and perceptions of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Cleaner Production, 116, 135-149.

Calas, M. B., & Smircich, L. (2006). From the ‘‘Woman’s Point of View’’ ten years later: Towards a feminist organization studies. In S. Clegg, C. Hardy, W. Nord, & Lawrence, T. (Eds.), Handbook of organization studies (2nd ed.) (pp. 284-346). London: Sage.

Cantele, S., & Zardini, A. (2019). What drives small and medium enterprises towards sustainability? Role of interactions between pressures, barriers, and benefits. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27, 126-136.

Carlock, R.S., & Ward, J.L. (2001). Strategic planning for the family business—Parallel planing to unify the family and business. Houndsmill, NY: Palgrave.

Castejon, P.J.M., & Lopez, B.A. (2016). Corporate social responsibility in family SMEs: A comparative study. European Journal of Family Business, 6, 21-31.

Chaudhary, R. (2017). Corporate social responsibility and employee engagement: Can CSR help in redressing the engagement gap? Social Responsibility Journal, 13(2), pp. 323-338.

Chua, J.H., Chrisman, J.J., & Sharma, P. (1999). Defining the family business by behavior. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 23(4), 19-39.

Cook, A., & Glass, C. (2018). Women on corporate boards: Do they advance corporate social responsibility? Human Relations, 71(7), 897-924.

Council of the European Union (2006). Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council, 23/24 March 2006, 7775/1/06 REV 1. Annex II, European pact for gender equality.

Cucari, N., Esposito De Falco, S., & Orlando, B. (2018). Diversity of Board of Directors and Environmental Social Governance: Evidence from Italian Listed Companies. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(3), 250-266.

Dagnino, G.B., & Minà, A. (2018). The swinging pendulum of coopetition inquiry. In Fernandez A., Chiambaretto, P., & Czakon, W. (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Coopetition Strategies (pp. 68-80). London, UK: Routledge.

De Celis, I.L.R., Velasco-Balmaseda, E., De Bobadilla, F.S., Alonso-Almeida, M.D.M., & Intxaurburu-Clemente, G. (2015). Does having women managers lead to increased gender equality practices in corporate social responsibility? Business Ethics: A European Review, 24(1), 91-110.

Dekker, J., Lybaert, N., Steijvers, T., & Depaire, B. (2015). The Effect of Family Business Professionalization as a Multidimensional Construct on Firm Performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(2), 516–538

Eagly, A.H., Johannesen-Schmidt, M.C., & Van Engen, M.L. (2003). Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles: A meta-analysis comparing women and men. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 569-591.

European Commission (2001). Green paper – promoting a European framework for corporate social responsibility. Brussels, COM (2001) 366 final.

European Commission (2015). Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality. Brussels, 3.12.2015 SWD (2015) 278 final.

European Commission (2018). Annual report on European SMEs 2017/2018. Retrieved from https://op.europa.eu/it/publication-detail/-/publication/a435b6ed-e888-11e8-b690-01aa75ed71a1

European Commission (2020). A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. Brussels, 5.3.2020 COM (2020) 152 final.

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

Fernandez-Feijoo, B., Romero, S., & Ruiz-Blanco, S. (2014). Women on boards: Do they affect sustainability reporting? Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 21(6), 351-364.

Fletcher, J.K. (1994). Castrating the female advantage: Feminist standpoint research and management science. Journal of Management Inquiry, 3(1), 74-82.

Fletcher, J.K., & Ely, R.J. (2003). Introducing Gender: Overview, Reader in Gender, Work and Organisation. In Ely, R.J., Foldy, E.G., Scully, M.A. and the Center for Gender in Organizations (Eds.), Reader in Gender, Work and Organization (pp. 3-9). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.

Freeman, R.E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Freeman, R.E., Harrison, J.S., & Wicks, A.C. (2007). Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation, and Success. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press

Garrica, E., & D. Melè. 2004. Corporate Social Responsibility Theories: Mapping the Territory. Journal of Business Ethics, 53, 51-71.

Gellert, F.J., & and De Graaf, F.J. (2012). Corporate social responsibility and aging workforces: an explorative study of corporate social responsibility implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises. Business Ethics: A European Review, 21(4), 353-363.

Gómez-Mejía, L.R., Haynes, K.T., Núñez-Nickel, M., Jacobson, K.J.L., & Moyano-Fuentes, J. (2007). Socioemotional Wealth and Business Risks in Family-Controlled Firms: Evidence from Spanish Olive Oil Mills. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(1), 106-137.

Grosser, K. (2016). Corporate social responsibility and multi-stakeholder governance: Pluralism, feminist perspectives and women’s NGOs. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(1), 65-81.

Grosser, K., & Moon, J. (2005). Gender mainstreaming and corporate social responsibility: Reporting workplace issues. Journal of Business Ethics, 62 (4), 327-340.

Grosser, K., & Moon, J. (2008). Developments in company reporting on workplace gender equality. A corporate social responsibility perspective. Accounting Forum, 32(3), 179-198.

Grosser, K., & Moon, J. (2019). CSR and Feminist Organization Studies: Towards an Integrated Theorization for the Analysis of Gender Issues. Journal of Business Ethics, 155, 321-342.

Hafsi, T., & Turgut, G. (2013). Boardroom Diversity and its Effect on Social Performance: Conceptualization and Empirical Evidence. Journal of Business Ethics, 112 (3), pp. 463-479.

Harjoto, M., Laksmana, I., & Lee, R. (2015). Board Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 132(4), 641-660.

Hasle, P., Limborg, H.J., Kallehave, T., Klitgaard, C., & Andersen, T.R. (2012). The working environment in small firms: Responses from owner-managers. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 30(6), 622-639.

Heck, R. K. Z., & Scannell Trent, E. (1999). The prevalance of family business from a household sample. Family Business Review, 12(3), 209-224.

Held, V. (2006). The ethics of care: Personal, political and global. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Hillman, A. J., Cannella, A. A., & Paetzold, R. L. (2000). The resource dependence role of corporate directors: Strategic adaptation of board composition in response to environmental change. Journal of Management Studies, 37(2), 235–256.

Hopfl, H., & Marshall, J. (2007). The gendering of leadership in corporate social responsibility. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 20(2), 165-181.

Hsu, J.L., & Cheng, M.C. (2012). What Prompts Small and Medium Enterprises to Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility? A Study from Taiwan. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 19, 288-305.

Huang, S.K. (2013). The impact of CEO characteristics on corporate sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 20(4), 234-244.

Hur, W.-M., Kim, H., & Jang, J.H. (2016). The Role of Gender Differences in the Impact of CSR Perceptions on Corporate Marketing Outcomes. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 23(6), 345-357.

Isidro, H., & Sobral, M. (2015). The Effects of Women on Corporate Boards on Firm Value, Financial Performance, and Ethical and Social Compliance. Journal of Business Ethics, 132(1), 1-19.

Kabongo, J.D., Chang, K., & Li, Y. (2013). The Impact of Operational Diversity on Corporate Philanthropy: An Empirical Study of U.S. Companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 49-65.

Lee, J., & Cho, M. (2019). New insights into socially responsible consumers: The role of personal values. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43, 123-133.

Lee, K.H., Herold, D.M, & Yu, A.L. (2016). Small and Medium Enterprises and Corporate Social Responsibility Practice: A Swedish Perspective. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 23, 88-99.

Liao, L., Lin, T.P., & Zhang, Y. (2018). Corporate Board and Corporate Social Responsibility Assurance: Evidence from China. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(1), 211-225.

Manita, R., Bruna, M.G., Dang, R., & Houanti, L. (2018). Board gender diversity and ESG disclosure: evidence from the USA. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 19(2), 206-224.

McCarthy, L., & Muthuri, J.N. (2018). Engaging Fringe Stakeholders in Business and Society Research: Applying Visual Participatory Research Methods. Business and Society, 57(1), 131-173.

McGuinness, P.B., Vieito, J.P., & Wang, M. (2017). The role of board gender and foreign ownership in the CSR performance of Chinese listed firms. Journal of Corporate Finance, 42, 75-99.

Metcalfe, D., & Woodhams, C. (2012). Introduction: New directions in gender, diversity and organization theorizing: Re-imagining feminist post-colonialism, transationalism and georgraphies of power. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(2), 123-140.

Mitchell, R.K., Agle, B.R., Chrisman, J.J., & Spence, L.J. (2011). Toward a theory of stakeholder salience in family firms. Business Ethics Quartery, 21, 235-255.

Mohr, L.A., Webb, D.J., & Harris, K.E. (2001). Do Consumers Expect Companies to Be Socially Responsible? The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Buying Behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 35, 45-72.

Murillo, D., & Lozano, J.M. (2006). SMEs and CSR: an approach to CSR in their own words. Journal of Business Ethics, 67(3), 227-240.

Nie, D., Lämsä, A.M., & Pučėtaitė, R. (2018). Effects of responsible human resource management practices on female employees’ turnover intentions. Business Ethics, 27(1), 29-41.

Oumlil, A.B., & Balloun, J.L. (2009). Ethical decision-making differences between american and moroccan managers. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(4), pp. 457-478.

Perrini F. (2006). SMEs and CSR theory: Evidence and implications from an Italian perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. 67(3), 305-316.

Pfeffer, J. (1972). Size and Composition of Corporate Boards of Directors: The Organization and its Environment. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17, 218-228.

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

Rao, K., & Tilt, C. (2016). Board Composition and Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Diversity, Gender, Strategy and Decision Making. Journal of Business Ethics, 138 (2), pp. 327-347.

Rodriguez-Dominguez, L., Gallego-Alvarez, I., & Garcia-Sanchez, I.M. (2009). Corporate governance and codes of ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(2), 187-202.

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

Russo, A., & Tencati, (2009). Formal vs. Informal CSR Strategies: Evidence from Italian Micro, Small, Medium-sized, and Large Firms. Journal of Business Ethics, 85, 339-353.

Schofield, T. & Goodwin, S. (2017). Gender Politics and Public Policy Making: Prospects for Advancing Gender Equality. Policy and Society, 24(5), 25-44.

Setó-Pamies, D. (2015) The Relationship between Women Directors and Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 22(6), 334-345.

Shaukat, A., Qiu, Y., & Trojanowski, G. (2016). Board Attributes, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, and Corporate Environmental and Social Performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 135(3), 569-585.

Sheehy, B. (2014). Defining CSR: Problems and Solutions. Journal of Business Ethics, 131, 625-648.

Skudiene, V., & Auruskeviciene, V. (2012). The contribution of corporate social responsibility to internal employee motivation. Baltic Journal of Management, 7, 49-67.

Spence, L.J. (2016). Small Business Social Responsibility: Expanding Core CSR Theory. Business & Society, 55(1), 23-55.

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

Spence, L.J., & Schmidpeter R. (2003). SMEs, Social capital and the common good. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(1/2), 93-108.

Sprinkle, G.B, & Maines, L.A. (2010). The benefits and costs of corporate social responsibility. Business Horizons, 138, 327-347.

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

Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14, 207-222.

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, 186-194.

United Nations General Assembly (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution A/70/L.1.

Vázquez‐Carrasco, R., & López‐Pérez, M. E. (2013). Small & medium‐sized enterprises and corporate social responsibility: A systematic review of the literature. Quality & Quantity, 47(6), 3205-3218.

Velasco, E., Aldamiz-Echevarria, C., Fernandez de Bobadilla, S., Intxaurburu, G., & Larrieta, I. (2013). Guía de buenas prácticas en responsabilidad social de

género. Madrid: Ediciones Pirámide.

Velasco, E., Larrieta, I., Intxaurburu, G., Fernandez de Bobadilla, S. & Alonso-Almeida, M.M. (2014). A model for developing gendered social responsibility (GSR) at organizations: an exploratory study’. In Newell, A.P. (Ed.), Corporate Social Responsibility: Challenges, Benefits and Impact on Business Performance (pp. 21-64). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Vuontisjärvi, T. (2006). Corporate social reporting in the European context and human resource disclosures: An analysis of finnish companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 69(4), 331-354.

Wu, G.C. (2017). Effects of socially responsible supplier development and sustainability-oriented innovation on sustainable development: Empirical evidence from SMEs. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag, 24, 661-675.

Yasser, Q.R., Al Mamun, A., & Ahmed, I. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility and Gender Diversity: Insights from Asia Pacific. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 24(3), 210-221.

Zou, Z., Liu, Y., Ahmad, N., Sial, M.S., Badulescu, A., Zia-Ud-Din, M., & Badulescu, D. (2021). What Prompts Small and Medium Enterprises to Implement CSR? A Qualitative Insight from an Emerging Economy. Sustainability, 13, 952-967.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2022 Piccola Impresa / Small Business