An exploratory study of determinants of Philanthropy/Charity/Corporate Social Responsibility by SMEs and unlisted manufacturing firms in India

Abstract

Nielsen and Thomsen (2009) recognized that CSR is more propelled by personal ethics of
managers of SMEs rather than a strategic emphasis of profitability and sustainability. The employers of
these SMEs repeatedly use the terms “Philanthropy” and “Charity” as a way to fulfill their social and moral
responsibilities towards society and environment. The unlisted firms are also adopting socially responsible
practices for direct and indirect benefits. The present study is intended to study the behavior of SMEs and
unlisted firms in India as responsible corporate citizens. An attempt has been made to identify the
determinants of socially responsible behavior by these organizations. For this, an extensive survey on 337
`SMEs and unlisted manufacturing firms has been completed. The results thus obtained are confirmed on a
fresh sample of 376 units by using confirmatory factor analyses have implications for various stakeholders