Abstract
The paper examines the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among SMEs and the effect on their propensity to pursue internationalisation. Using a combination of stakeholder, networking, institutional and internationalisation theoretical lenses, our study reveals that SMEs in the research context with a more formalised processes of designing and implementing CSR initiatives develop crucial capabilities and intangible resources that facilitate their internationalisation. Our paper makes a unique contribution to the limited literature on how CSR facilitate SMEs internationalisation by proposing a model depicting the process through which SMEs’ CSR influences their internationalisation. Moreover, by integrating the three different research streams our paper cross-fertilise and enrich the CSR, international business, and entrepreneurship scholarships. Further theoretical and practical implications will also be discussed.The paper examines the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among SMEs and the effect on their propensity to pursue internationalisation. Using a combination of stakeholder, networking, institutional and internationalisation theoretical lenses, our study reveals that SMEs in the research context with a more formalised processes of designing and implementing CSR initiatives develop crucial capabilities and intangible resources that facilitate their internationalisation. Our paper makes a unique contribution to the limited literature on how CSR facilitate SMEs internationalisation by proposing a model depicting the process through which SMEs’ CSR influences their internationalisation. Moreover, by integrating the three different research streams our paper cross-fertilise and enrich the CSR, international business, and entrepreneurship scholarships. Further theoretical and practical implications will also be discussed.