This paper shows the results of a survey carried out in two Tuscan industrial clusters and aims at analysing the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by local small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in favour of employees, suppliers and consumers. In particular, we have analysed both the role of local stakeholders in stimulating the different initiatives and the issues that SMEs consider relevant for their business strategies. This study represents an innovative contribution to the research concerning the relationship between SMEs and CSR, and better defines the role played by the connections existing among local actors involved in an industrial cluster (in order to stimulate and promote CSR). Finally, the paper evaluates the types of correlations existing between the adoption of CSR initiatives and economic performance.

In the context of a globalised economy, many companies have adopted corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies in their vertical relationships with suppliers whom they have asked to comply with their own codes of conduct. Thus, suppliers that enter into contractual relationships with such large companies may be confronted with multiple codes of conduct that incorporate different standards that they are expected to meet. This entails additional costs with consequential limited benefits. This paper focuses on large companies in specific sectors that operate in supply chains where they do not exert control over their suppliers and that are already promoting several collaborative initiatives among competitors to facilitate the identification of common standards across their supply chains. The descriptive and exploratory research includes a qualitative analysis of four cases, each of which explains an intra-sector collaborative approach to implementing CSR in international supply chains.

The importance of SMEs to the economy and society and their special characteristics relevant to the adoption of CSR principles, the implementation of CSR activities, and the study of the relationship between SME, CSR behaviour and competitiveness, have stimulated the interest of both practitioners and academicians. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature addressing SME CSR behaviour and competitiveness. The paper summarises the major trends emerging from the literature review and provides recommendations for further research.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a dominant theme in business and literature. Many studies speak about corporate social innovation and considered companies facing with additional goals that are innovation and CSR. The research aim of this work starts to look at the relationship among CSR and innovation as a value-creating process which occur in a networks and relational context. Based on this we want to obtain insights about the role of network and the way in which stakeholders can be involved in corporate responsible innovation of products and processes. We chose a case study methodology and we selected three highly involved CSR and innovation firms. By studying the interactions between firms and stakeholders in CSR innovation processes we want to be able to highlight innovative patterns to management that it creates most opportunities for reaching additional goals of growth, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability of firm and its network.