ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on small- and medium-sized, private companies. It explores questions of how they think about and enact corporate social responsibility (CSR). The chapter is based on a research study that sought to uncover the factors that drove high performance among such firms; however, the study unexpectedly revealed that the high-performing companies were values-led. Values provided a foundation upon which CSR initiatives were undertaken as defined by Carroll's (1991) four dimensions of social responsibility. While values have been highlighted in definitions of CSR, they have been somewhat neglected by CSR researchers. The values used most frequently by the firms are outlined in the findings. The study found that the high-performing private firms communicate their values through actions and word-of-mouth more than through formal communication tools. This was believed to enhance the authenticity of the firms’ initiatives. Finally, since employees helped negotiate the values and came to own them, the study also suggests that the private firms took a constitutive perspective of CSR communication in that it was a complex process of continuous meaning negotiation among firms’ executives and employees.
