Original scientific paper
Slovenian SMEs: From the Environmental Responsibility to Corporate Social Responsibility
Jožica Knez-Riedl
; Faculty of Business and Economics, Maribor, Slovenia
Abstract
Environmental and societal issues are emphasising the social role of enterprises, including all size classes, even the smallest ones, so-called micro enterprises. This paper reflects on Slovenian SMEs. These enterprises are confronting ever increasing and changing expectations, demands and claims for accountability not concerning only economic, but also environmental and social performance. Environmental responsibility is one of three dimensions of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) promoted also by the EU. A range of motives and many barriers are decisive for proactive or reactive environmental activities of SMEs. For determining as to how much environmentally responsible Slovenian SMEs are in the period just before joining the EU (May 2004), some aspects in context ofenvironmental management system (including environmental standards and indicators) are investigated here.
Keywords
accountability; environmental indicators; environmental management system; environmental responsibility; sustainability
Hrčak ID:
101277
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2004.
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