Dolores  Gallardo-Vazquez

Department of Finance and Accounting

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

University of Extremadura

Avda. Elvas, s/n 06006 Badajoz

Spain

E-mail: dgallard@unex.es

Information on Corporate Social Responsibility and SME´s Environmental Responsiveness: A Regional Study

Isabel Sanchez-Hernandez

Department of Business Management and Sociology

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

University of Extremadura

Avda. Elvas, s/n 06006 Badajoz

Spain

E-mail: isanchez@unex.es (corresponding author)

ABSTRACT. The theoretical framework of market orientation from Kholi and Jaworski (1990), and the extended concept of market considering all agents of interest, has served as background for analysing the relationship between the three sub-dimensions of what we call orientation to environmental responsibility: information on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), the disclosure that the company itself makes of its CSR, and the organization´s environmental responsiveness. The analysis is based on the perceptions of managers of a large sample of small companies (758 in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura in Spain). It was empirically demonstrated with the methodology of structural equations, that the greater concern about the CSR issues corresponds to the higher engagement in the dissemination of CSR outcomes and consequently, managers increase their predisposition to respond favourably to environmental demands of society.

Received: July, 2012

1st Revision: September, 2012

Accepted: October, 2012

JEL Classification:  M14 – Q56

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Environmental Responsiveness, Information about CSR, Region of Extremadura, Spain.