Influence of National Institutions on the Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Food-processing Industry: Differences Between France and Morocco

Jamal Baz (), Issam Laguir (), Magalie Marais () and Raffaele Staglianò ()
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Jamal Baz: Ecole Supérieure de Technologie (EST) d’Agadir
Issam Laguir: Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management)
Magalie Marais: Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management)
Raffaele Staglianò: Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management)

Journal of Business Ethics, 2016, vol. 134, issue 1, No 8, 117-133

Abstract: Abstract This paper analyzes how national institutions impact corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food-processing industries of France and Morocco. In this study, CSR practices are defined around two main dimensions: corporate performance (financial vs. global) and the CSR approach (defensive vs. active). Qualitative data were collected during semi-structured interviews with SME managers in charge of CSR issues. We then performed a content analysis. Our study shows that there is a distinct difference between the CSR practices adopted by SMEs in France and Morocco. Indeed, the findings suggest that under the rule-based governance system of France, most SMEs view CSR as an economic tool and it is adopted as an opportunity-seeking perspective anchored in the search for global performance. The findings also show that under the relationship-based governance system of Morocco, SMEs mainly see CSR from a constraint-reducing perspective. However, some Moroccan SMEs have begun to see the economic opportunities of CSR, especially in accessing foreign markets.

Keywords: National institutions; SMEs; CSR; Food-processing industry; France; Morocco (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2417-z

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