Small Business Social Responsibility: An Introduction and Guide

This guide introduces and discusses Small Business Social Responsibility (SBSR) practice and the challenges and opportunities therein. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is characterised by organisations making proactive efforts to account for stakeholder interests within decision-making, operations, and policies (Carroll, 2015). As such, CSR is principally focused on an organisation’s environmental, social, economic, and legal responsibilities and impacts. However, much discussion of CSR emphasises the “corporate” through focusing on large firms such as Shell, Amazon, or H&M, belying the fact that 90% of businesses worldwide are classified as small (McKinsey Global Institute, 2024). The collective impact of small businesses on society and the planet is substantial and needs to be carefully considered when it comes to a variety of economic, social, and environmental issues, such as attaining Net Zero or tackling modern slavery (Ahmad & Alsuhaibany, 2026). This guide discusses what differentiates small businesses from large businesses and the relative strengths and weaknesses of small businesses when it comes to social impact. It further considers drivers of and barriers to SBSR.