Responsible Entrepreneurship: Raising Corporate Social Responsibility Awareness Among Male and Female Owned and Managed Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR). In particular, this paper strives to raise awareness of CSR among SME’s in Abeokuta and assist the SME’s in their efforts toward responsible entrepreneurship by raising questions on the possible ways to improve their business in a profitable and sensible manner. The study also assists the SME entrepreneurs to identify further actions to strengthen their business reputation and performance. The review in subsequent sections draws on the ethics, CSR and entrepreneurship literature in arriving at a working theoretical base for the study. Data for the study was obtained from face-to-face questionnaire survey with 72 SME owner/managers in the Abeokuta region of Ogun State, Nigeria. The findings obtained from the survey conducted with the SME entrepreneurs support the view that Nigerian SMEs’ adoption of CSR is closely linked to the entrepreneurs’ moral convictions as well as the entrepreneurs’ values, religious orientation, and SME entrenchment in the local socio-economic environment. The findings suggest a strong link between the entrepreneurs’ personal moral and ethical values and their adoption of CSR practices and responsible entrepreneurial practices. The findings help confirm a gendered distinction in some of the practices adopted by the entrepreneurs. Finally, the results show that both male and female entrepreneurs would benefit from enterprise networking and knowledge sharing to further enhance their practices. The study makes empirical contributions to the burgeoning literature in this area by contextualizing CSR within a local and broader national institutional framework in Nigeria. It provides theoretical perspective on which future research and policy initiatives can be developed, particularly in Abeokuta where there is a dearth of empirical research. Furthermore, the study has the potential to contribute to SME policy and practice, raising awareness of the importance of CSR in fostering a collaborative approach between the SME, its employees, customers, suppliers, and the local communities in which it operates, thereby strengthening the SME firm, its reputation and overall performance. The research makes theoretical and empirical contribution to the meager literature in this area thus filling gaps in the literature on SME CSR practices in Abeokuta and providing a theoretical perspective on which future research can be developed.