Thesis (M.Tech degree in Entrepreneurship / The inability of governments worldwide to protect individuals from economic insecurity has led to a renewed interest and public expectation that corporations have public responsibilities (Vettori, 2005). Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not seem to assume social responsibility towards the community. Businesses of the 21st century should add value not only to themselves, but to the rest of society as well, by supporting welfare institutions which address housing, recreational facilities and improvement of conditions in general.
There is a growing acceptance that the survival of a business is dependent upon its being seen as socially accountable. In view of the social and economic problems faced by South Africa, the business sector is expected to contribute to solving these problems. Traditionally it used to be the sole responsibility of the government to take care of the social welfare of its society. Changes in all spheres of life have forced businesses and government to take note of their social responsibility (Skinner and Mersham, 2008).
The paper focuses on the social responsibility of SMEs towards their communities. Research indicates that if enterprises do not evaluate the change of attitude and needs in the communities and adapt their activities accordingly, they will lose business. The perceptions of SMEs towards social responsibility are assessed in this paper, and the determinants influencing the social responsibility of businesses are identified.
A survey was conducted to investigate the nature of social responsibility of SMEs in the northern townships of Pretoria. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. From the findings of the study it can be deduced that SMEs' perceptions of corporate responsibility are that being socially responsible can result in a favourable image of the enterprise. Corporate responsibility also brings new opportunities for the business. The practice of corporate social responsibility can improve the life of workers and communities. SMEs, however, argue that they are struggling for survival as they do not have the necessary resources to spend on corporate responsibility. It emerged from the
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study that the size of the business did not determine corporate responsibility practices among SMEs in the northern townships of Pretoria, but it does contribute to these activities.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1000700 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Bilankulu, C. |
| Contributors | Prof. EM Rankhumise, Mr CJ du Plessis |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | Copyright ©Tshwane University of Technology |
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