Small, Medium or Large - Does it Matter? How firm characteristics influence the organising of CSR activities in Swedish clothing firms

Abstract

The ambiguity of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been widely debated in academic research over the last decades. There is a consensus that firms ought to take responsibilities for their actions, but there is no unified definition of CSR and which activities are included in the concept. Hence, what the CSR activities entail and how firms have chosen to organise them may differ between firms and industries. According to organisational theory, firm characteristics have a strong influence on the organising of firm activities. Yet, the linkage between firm characteristics and organising of CSR activities has so far been limited. One discussion that has evolved is how organising of CSR activities differs depending on firm size. Other factors, such as firm age have been neglected in the discussions. In this thesis, the area of how firm size and age influence the organising of CSR activities in Swedish clothing companies has been discovered. The results show that firm size has an influence in accordance with previous research. Firm age was also found to have an impact on the organising of CSR activities.