eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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Objective of the Study:

The objective of this thesis is to examine Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication in Finnish natural stone companies. Since the majority of the companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the focus is on CSR and CSR communication in the SME context. The study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) How do Finnish natural stone company executives perceive CSR and its role in their business? (2) To what extent do Finnish natural stone companies communicate CSR and how?

Methodology:

The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on previous literature on CSR, CSR Communication and SMEs. A qualitative, semi-structured interview was chosen as the research method to best suite the nature of the above mentioned research questions. The interview themes were designed according to the literature and the research questions. The data was collected through five interviews with altogether eight interviewees. The data analysis was conducted through thematisation.

Findings and Conclusions:

The findings of this study are threefold and are in line with previous literature. The findings are the following: (1) The company executives perceive CSR in a traditional manner as in meeting the economic responsibility as well as abiding laws and restrictions. It is considered of extreme importance to secure continuity for the company. (2) Communication of CSR is low due to two reasons: the lack of time and monetary resources and the general knowledge on CSR. (3) Despite the current low knowledge on CSR, it is perceived as an important matter to the industry and the data shows that its importance is believed to grow in the future.