Businesses are increasingly embracing the dynamics of digital technologies, as they communicate with interested parties about their responsible initiatives through corporate websites, social media platforms and other interactive channels. Therefore, a quantitative study involving 202 owner-managers investigates their attitudes toward stakeholder engagement through digital media. The research methodology involved the integration of previously tried and tested measurement tools from the technological acceptance model, the pace of technological innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) items, to better understand the rationale for using digital media to communicate with stakeholders on the organization’s responsible behaviors. The results have indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between the perceived “ease of use” and “usefulness” of online media. The findings also revealed that the younger owner-managers were increasingly using ubiquitous technologies as opposed to their older counterparts. This contribution implies that all businesses, particularly the smaller ones, could improve their relationships with stakeholders if they use digital media to communicate about their responsible behaviors.

1. Unleashing Corporate Social
Responsibility Communication
for Small Businesses in the
Digital Era
Mark Anthony Camilleri, PhD (Edinburgh)
University of Malta, Malta
How to Cite: Camilleri, M.A. (2018). Unleashing Corporate Social Responsibility Communication for Small Businesses in the Digital
Era. In Coyle-Shapiro, J. (Ed.) Academy of Management Annual Conference Proceedings: Improving Lives. (Chicago, August, 2018).
Academy of Management (AOM) https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/AMBPP.2018.10467abstract.

2. Overview of Presentation
• Introduction;
• Literature Review;
• Formulation of Hypotheses;
• Research Design and Methodology;
• Analysis and Interpretation of the Findings;
• Conclusions and Implications of Study;
• Limitations and Future Research Avenues.

3. Introduction
• Many businesses are increasingly using the digital media, including;
corporate websites, social media platforms and other interactive channels,
including blogs to engage with different stakeholders;
• They are communicating about their offerings (products or services), and
on their commercial, ethical and socially-responsible behaviors;
• Several corporations are preparing non-financial reports that promote their
corporate citizenship (e.g. Social Responsibility Reports or Sustainability Reports);
• Firms are recognizing that corporate social responsibility (CSR)
communication could translate into tangible benefits for their company’s
reputation, brand image, customer loyalty and investor confidence
(Camilleri, 2017; Panwar, Nybakk, Hansen & Pinkse, 2017; Du, Bhattacharya
& Sen, 2010; Morsing & Schultz, 2006).

4. Literature Review
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (Camilleri, 2017; Porter & Kramer, 2006;
Orlitzky, Schmidt & Rynes, 2003; McWilliams & Siegel, 2001; Carroll, 1979);
• Institutional and Legitimacy Theories (Brammer, Jackson & Matten, 2012; Matten & Moon,
2008);
• Stakeholder Theory (Camilleri, 2015; Clarkson, 1995; Donaldson & Preston, 1995; Freeman,
1994);
• CSR (of corporations and multinational organizations) versus Responsible (and Sustainable)
Enterprises (Dias, Rodrigues, Craig & Neves, 2018; Perrini, Russo & Tencati, 2007; Spence,
2007).
• The Use of Digital Media
• Technology Acceptance Model: Perceived “Usefulness” and the “Ease of Use” of Technology
(Rauniar, Rawski, Yang & Johnson, 2014; Durkin, McGowan & McKeown, 2013; Davis, 1989);
• Pace of Technological Innovativeness (Greenhow & Robelia, 2009; Grewal, Mehta & Kardes,
2004; Garcia & Calantone, 2002);
• Technological Anxiety (Garcia & Calantone, 2002).

5. Formulation of Hypotheses
1. There is a positive relationship between ‘the pace of technological
innovation’ and ‘the technological acceptance’ of digital media;
2. There is a positive relationship between ‘the pace of technological
innovation’ of digital media and the owner-managers’ ‘online stakeholder
engagement’;
3. There is a positive relationship between perceived ‘usefulness’ and the
‘ease of use’ of digital media for stakeholder engagement.
4. The ‘pace of technological innovation’, the owner-managers’ perceived
‘usefulness’ and ‘ease of use’ of digital media, and their ‘CSR ethos’ are the
antecedents for their businesses’ stakeholder engagement through digital
media.

6. Research Design and Methodology
Survey questionnaires were distributed by email to business owner-managers who were
members in a trade union representing SMEs within the retail industry, in a small EU state;
Valid and Reliable Measures, included:
• 6 items: “pace of technological innovation” (Grewal et al., 2004);
• 12 items: “technology acceptance model” (Davis, 1989);
• 4 items: “technology anxiety” (Meuter, Bitner, Ostrom & Brown, 2005);
• 16 items: CSR (Singh & Del Bosque, 2008).
• All responses were coded using a five-point Likert scaling mechanism. The values ranged
from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) whereas 3 signalled an indecision.
• N = 202.

7. The Socio-demographic Profile of the Respondents

8. Analysis - Descriptive Statistics on Digital Media
• The respondents indicated that they are using technology; the mean was
1.9 (Reverse scoring), and the standard deviation was 0.29.
• Gender did not influence the use of technology as there was no statistically
significant difference between the groups’ means as determined by the Chi
square tests.
• This study indicated that 83 males and 113 females (there were six missing values)
used digital media on a daily basis. Pearson’s Chi-Square χ2: was 1.150, Df 2. p =
0.563.
• The survey participants who were between 30 to 39 years of age (where
n=57), and those who were between 20 to 29 years old (where n=47) were
more likely to use their digital media than other groups. Pearson’s Chi-
Square χ2 was 3.803, Df 6 and p = 0.703.

9. • Generally, the participants indicated that they agreed with the survey items on
CSR as there were high mean scores (more than 3).
• E.g. The owner-managers were acting fairly and honestly with stakeholders (the mean
was 4.07, and the standard deviation was 1.19). They were also concerned on social
issues (mean was 3.34 and standard deviation was 1.24) and environmental
responsibility (mean was 3.46, standard deviation was 1.64).
• However, there were low attitudinal scores on philanthropy and stewardship
towards disadvantaged groups and individuals (mean was 2.43 and a standard
deviation was 0.47).
• The respondents were not willing to pay more to buy products from ethical
and socially responsible companies (where the mean was 2.12, and the
standard deviation was 0.87).
Analysis - Descriptive Statistics on CSR Items

10. Analysis – PCA (for Data Reduction)

11. PCA1: The Extracted Factor Components from
the Digital Media Constructs

12. PCA2: The Extracted Factor Components from CSR
Constructs

13. Analysis of the Hypotheses
• H1: A positive and significant relationship (Spearman’s rho, adj r2= 0.173, p <0.05) between perceived
usefulness of digital media and the pace of technological innovation (t-value = 4.457).
• H2: A positive and very significant relationships (Spearman’s rho, adj r2 = 0.296; p <0.01) between
the businesses’ online CSR reporting and the technological innovation of digital media (where t-value
= 2.53) and also with firm size (t-value = 1.87).
• H3: Positive and very significant relationships (Spearman’s rho, adj r2 = 0.298; p <0.01) between the
respondent’ perceived usefulness and ease of use of technology (t-value = 2.53). The findings also
from the stepwise regression analysis also suggested that the larger firms were more likely to utilize
digital media than their smaller counterparts (t-value = 1.87).
• H4: There was a positive and significant relationship (Spearman’s rho, adj r2 was 0.230, p <0.05). The
regression equation indicated that the small businesses’ online engagement was dependent on:the
easy interaction with digital media (Perceived Ease of Use) where t = 6.501; the users’ digital skills
(Pace of Technological Innovativeness) where t = 4.022; stakeholder relationships (Commercial
Responsibility) where t = 1.855; firm size, where t = 0.877; apprehension of digital media
(Technological Anxiety) where t = -0.126, and; age, where t = -0.114.

14. Conclusions and Implications
• Previous academic research has paid limited attention to the technology
acceptance of digital media among small businesses, albeit a few
exceptions (Taiminen & Karjaluoto, 2015; Baumann Pauly, Wickert, Spence
& Scherer, 2013; Durkin et al., 2013; Taylor & Murphy, 2004).
• This study identified and analyzed the SME owner-managers’ attitudes
toward the utilization of digital media for the communication of
commercial, ethical and social responsibility issues.
• - The findings indicated that digital technologies and applications were
perceived as useful by the SME owner-managers.
• - The utilization of digital media may lead to an improved engagement with
stakeholders.

15. Research Limitations and Future Studies
• The number of survey participants was sufficient in drawing conclusions about their attitudes;
however, this study is not amenable in drawing general conclusions in other contexts.
• The majority of the survey respondents (80%) were owner-managers of small firms having fewer
than 50 employees.
• The SMEs’ owner-managers were using digital media to promote their products and for
stakeholder engagement purposes. Nevertheless, the descriptive statistics revealed that were a few
respondents who were still apprehensive on the use of digital media.
• Future studies can complement and improve this work in a number of ways:
• Other research could include both small and large firms across various industries; to examine whether the
effect of CSR communication is different between the two categories.
• The researcher believes that there is scope in undertaking qualitative studies to explore the participants’ in-
depth opinions and perceptions on the subject.
• Further research is necessary to identify the organizational aspects that facilitate or hinder the
implementation of CSR-practices and its communication. Knowledge about these aspects could inform and
guide practitioners in both large and small firms.
• A longitudinal study in this area of research could investigate the relevance of stakeholder engagement via
digital media.

16. Acknowledgements
The author thanks the General Retailers and Traders Union for
disseminating the survey questionnaire among their members, and for
allowing the researcher to communicate about this research project in
their annual event.
The author also expresses his gratitude to AOM and to the reviewers
for their constructive remarks and suggestions.

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