CSR and Related Terms in SME Owner–Managers’ Mental Models in Six European Countries: National Context Matters

Journal of Business Ethics 128 (2):433-456 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

As a contribution to the emerging field of corporate social responsibility cognition, this article reports on the findings of an exploratory study that compares SME owner–managers’ mental models with regard to CSR and related concepts across six European countries. Utilising Repertory Grid Technique, we found that the SME owner–managers’ mental models show a few commonalities as well as a number of differences across the different country samples. We interpret those differences by linking individual cognition to macro-environmental variables, such as language, national traditions and dissemination mechanisms. The results of our exploratory study show that nationality matters but that classifications of countries as found in the comparative capitalism literature do not exactly mirror national differences in CSR cognition and that these classifications need further differentiation. The findings from our study raise questions on the universality of cognition of academic management concepts and warn that promotion of responsible business practice should not rely on the use of unmediated US American management terminology

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 101,757

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Responsible business practices and some Indian SMEs.Chhanda Chakraborti & Debadutta Mishra - 2018 - Asian Journal of Business Ethics 7 (2):177-203.

Analytics

Added to PP
2015-04-28

Downloads
72 (#293,744)

6 months
9 (#509,115)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Add more citations

References found in this work

Corporate Social Responsibility.Archie B. Carroll - 1999 - Business and Society 38 (3):268-295.
Managing ethics in business organizations: social scientific perspectives.Linda Klebe Treviño - 2003 - Stanford, Calif.: Stanford Business Books. Edited by Gary R. Weaver.
Does size matter? The state of the art in small business ethics.Laura J. Spence - 1999 - Business Ethics, the Environment and Responsibility 8 (3):163–174.

View all 32 references / Add more references