Corporate social responsibility for SMEs: A proposed hypothesised model

Abstract

In a competitive, globalised world, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is proposed as a strategy to invigorate the competitiveness of small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). The primary objective of this paper is to identify CSR factors that influence the competitiveness of SMEs and to develop a hypothesised model that can be tested on SMEs. Although SMEs in Uganda are increasingly becoming the backbone of the economy, their rate of survival and competitiveness are a cause for concern. The outcomes of CSR activities can help to improve the survival rate of SMEs, and may offer great opportunities for business competitiveness, locally and globally.