Moral commitments to community: Mapping social responsibility and its ambiguities among small business owners

Citation

Lange EA & Fenwick T (2008) Moral commitments to community: Mapping social responsibility and its ambiguities among small business owners. Social Responsibility Journal, 4 (1/2), pp. 41-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/17471110810856820

Abstract
This article maps the different moral positions related to social responsibility (SR) as articulated by 25 small business owners and explains how they understand their positions within a range of SR practices. The morality underpinning their social responsibility tended to be embedded in a sense of relationship with and commitment to the well-being of the local geographic community but was threaded with felt ambiguities. Through an ethical analysis, we argue that this moral commitment to community is connected to a relational worldview, distinct from values and assumptions driving the existing economic system, yet they pursue this vision as individual actors rather than working collectively.

Keywords
social responsibility; workplace learning; small business learning; Social responsibility of business; Business ethics

Journal
Social Responsibility Journal: Volume 4, Issue 1/2

People

Professor Tara Fenwick

Emeritus Professor, Education