Beyond values: business orientation as a driver of small business social responsibility
Journal article
Tomasella, B. and Conway, E. 2025. Beyond values: business orientation as a driver of small business social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70054
| Authors | Tomasella, B. and Conway, E. |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Small businesses differ from larger corporations in their approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) due to their unique reliance on the personal values of owner/managers. This study employs an abductive research methodology to explore the depth and relative influence of these personal values, in contrast to business motivations, on their social responsibility, through 38 semi-structured interviews with owner-managers of small businesses. Our key finding lies in demonstrating that transcending the purely economic-focused responsibilities toward broader social change requires self-transcendent values embedded in business orientation; otherwise, such values informing small business social responsibility (SBSR) might be traded off against other business motivations. This work expands SBSR theory, highlighting policy strategies and practical implications for small businesses, which can inform proactive SBSR that goes beyond compliance and economic responsibility. |
| Keywords | business orientation; CSR; personal values; small business; small business social responsibility (SBSR) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Journal | Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management |
| Journal citation | pp. 1-18 |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| ISSN | 1535-3966 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70054 |
| Web address (URL) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/csr.70054 |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| Output status | Published |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 14 Jul 2025 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 24 Jun 2025 |
| Deposited | 14 Jul 2025 |
Permalink -
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/qyy0x/beyond-values-business-orientation-as-a-driver-of-small-business-social-responsibility
Download files
Publisher's version
| Corp Soc Responsibility Env - 2025 - Tomasella - Beyond Values Business Orientation as a Driver of Small Business Social.pdf | ||
| License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
| File access level: Open | ||
46
total views10
total downloads2
views this month0
downloads this month
Export as
Related outputs
From objectors to supporters: developing targeted pro-environmental behavioural change interventions
Povilionis, R., Bilal Akbar, M. and Tomasella, B. 2025. From objectors to supporters: developing targeted pro-environmental behavioural change interventions. Current Issues in Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2025.2539871Using archival research in marketing
Gill, D. and Tomasella, B. 2025. Using archival research in marketing. in: Lawson, A. and Hancock, C. (ed.) Doing Marketing Research : Alternative Methods for Market Sensing Routledge.
Inspiring a Sustainability Mindset in Enterprise Education
Wylie, A., Tomasella, B., Walid Al Saad, W. and Kelleher, O. 2024. Inspiring a Sustainability Mindset in Enterprise Education . IEEC2024.Embedding the Sustainable Development Goals Into Higher Education Institutions’ Marketing Curriculum
Tomasella, B., Akbar, B., Lawson, A., Howarth, R. and Bedford, R. 2024. Embedding the Sustainable Development Goals Into Higher Education Institutions’ Marketing Curriculum. Journal of Marketing Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753241231182Social marketing as a behaviour change strategy to increase tourists' pro-environmental behaviour
Lawson, A., Akbar, B., Tomasella, B. and Azara, I. 2023. Social marketing as a behaviour change strategy to increase tourists' pro-environmental behaviour. in: Ramkissoon, H. (ed.) Handbook on Tourism and Behaviour Change Cheltenham Edward Elgar. pp. 138-155Maximising the impact of cross-sector partnerships for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Wylie, A. and Tomasella, B. 2023. Maximising the impact of cross-sector partnerships for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference. Newcastle 06 - 08 Sep 2016 British Academy of Management (BAM).Hospitality that cares: a qualitative investigation into small foodservice businesses’ social responsibility
Barbara Tomasella, Alisha Ali and Devi Gill 2023. Hospitality that cares: a qualitative investigation into small foodservice businesses’ social responsibility. Current Issues in Tourism. 27 (12), pp. 1853-1869. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2214849CSR engagement in SMEs – tactical or strategic?
Conway, E. and Tomasella, B. CSR engagement in SMEs – tactical or strategic? CSR Conference. Belfast N/A.The role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in educating future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals
Tomasella, B., Anne Wylie and Devi Gill 2022. The role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in educating future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals. Social Enterprise Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/sej-03-2022-0027Abductive Thematic Analysis in Hospitality and Tourism Research
Tomasella, B. 2022. Abductive Thematic Analysis in Hospitality and Tourism Research. in: Contemporary Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism Bingley Emerald. pp. 203-219How to enhance the engagement of social enterprises with the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Tomasella, B. 2021. How to enhance the engagement of social enterprises with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference. Newcastle 06 - 08 Sep 2016 British Academy of Management (BAM).Ethical, social or both? The ethicality of Social enterprises
Tomasella, B. 2020. Ethical, social or both? The ethicality of Social enterprises. The British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference. Newcastle 06 - 08 Sep 2016 British Academy of Management (BAM).