Small Business, Big Responsibility: The Social Responsibility Experience of Rural Small Business

Though well-established in literature and practice, the experience of corporate social responsibility has rarely been examined in the context of the rural community, a valuable and unique setting often dominated by small business in both developed and underdeveloped economies. This qualitative study examined the experience of social responsibility among twenty-four small businesses throughout rural Newfoundland, Canada, and explored the perceived impact of the rural context on that experience. Findings contribute to a rich characterization of the social responsibility experience among rural small business owners and reveals that engagement in this type of behavior is not specifically linked to a deliberate effort to enhance business performance, rather, an overwhelmingly desire to support and enrich the community. Revelations of the benefits of such engagement, and a consistent experience of significant personal cost to these rural small business owners are particularly noteworthy. This research extends scholarly knowledge related to small business and rural social responsibility by deepening the current understanding of the experience in the rural context. Further, it offers recommendations on future policy directions related to social and economic development in rural communities, and to practical considerations for rural small business owners in their engagement with their rural communities.