This edited volume aims at exploring the uniqueness and complexity of European CSR approaches, perspectives, and practices through a critical lens.

This edited volume aims at exploring the uniqueness and complexity of European CSR approaches, perspectives, and practices through a critical lens.

Diploma Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, University of Applied Sciences Bremen, language: English, abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as “achieving commercial success in ways that honour ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment” and is the topic of interest for this research paper. The aim of study was to investigate CSR communication and how it is perceived with a view to identifying how CSR can be communicated more effectively to consumers. The focus in this context was on relational CSR potentials and the effect of consumer-company identification as a main driving force behind relational CSR effects. In order to achieve this aim a comprehensive literature review was conducted to conceptualise the ideas on CSR, the CSR communication challenge as well the link between CSR information and consumer-company identification. Further, primary research was undertaken in terms of a consumer survey among German students in order to gain an understanding of consumer perceptions as well as to identify critical aspects of CSR communication. Results indicate that in spite of a general tendency of scepticism towards companies, consumers do accept and expect companies to communicate on their CSR activities. It also became apparent that interest in and support of the subject clearly exceed the awareness level, which suggests an unmet receptiveness regarding CSR information. In this context, women showed significantly more support and interest in the topic corroborating the established hypothesis of respective gender differences which was established within the theoretical discussion. As a conclusion of this study female consumers have to be considered as particularly receptive towards CSR information and as a particular valuable target for CSR communication. The high level of support in general and especially among women can be considered as a given basis to consumercompany identification. It implies the potential for perceived congruence between consumers’ self concept and company CSR values and also highlights the relationbuilding dimension of CSR and its opportunities for consumer-relationship marketing. This research suggests that CSR should be communicated more proactively as the majority of respondents stated that they ‘would like to know more about it’ and affirmed the acceptability of advertising on CSR as a proactive means of communication.

This volume comprehensively discusses the history of development efforts, the corporate economy of India, and the recent changes in global political economy. In particular, it examines the changing corporate governance policies and practices in India Inc. in the face of liberalization and provides strategic recommendations for boards and managements.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often have difficulty competing in the global economy unless they collaborate with domestic or foreign partners or with public sector organizations. This book addresses the resource leverage and innovation challenges that increased global trade represents for SMEs. In doing so, it explores how SMEs can become more competitive at home and in foreign markets as stand-alone firms or as members of supplier and customer networks. SMEs are turning increasingly to innovation as a source of competitive advantage in order to protect their home markets and participate in expanding foreign markets. The contributors to this volume - leading experts in entrepreneurship, innovation, and international business - provide in-depth coverage of the most compelling issues facing SMEs. These include: innovation as a competitive strategy, network dynamics, ways to leverage technology, internationalization, and the role of the public sector in helping SMEs to overcome resource deficiencies. This comprehensive look at SMEs in the global marketplace will be of great interest to academics who study entrepreneurship, innovation, or international business, officials from public sector agencies with responsibility for helping SMEs to internationalize and become more innovative, and senior executives of SMEs or executives of larger companies who are considering collaboration with SMEs.

The first volume was a cumulative volume which contained the Foundation Center collection. Subsequent editions include all the Foundation Center acquisitions acquired annually as well as other current literature.