The use of CSR in e-commerce as a way to compete

Abstract

The article deals with the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on small-medium companies (SMEs) in the field of e-commerce. As many people today are aware of the exhaustion of resources, ethical codes as well as working standards, CSR has become a strong competitive tool. Additionally, with the global increase in economy, e-commerce users have come to be regarded favourably in terms of environmental friendliness, with e-commerce becoming a popular tool of purchase. However, previous research offers little understanding about the relationship between CSR and e-commerce. To shed some light on this issue, two questionnaire surveys and interviews with seven managers of selected companies were conducted in the Czech Republic. The participants in the first study were e-commerce customers (N = 207), and the second study was aimed at SMEs in e-commerce (N = 63). The research shows that the implementation of CSR may influence sales positively. The findings also indicate that consumers prefer companies with CSR as well as the necessity of good implementation of CSR in the company process by managers. The most discussed issue of CSR by SMEs managers concerned working standards. The research also shows big differences between formal acceptance and certified SNIEs for CSR. CSR is not only a competitive advantage but also one of the ways to maintain sustainable corporate development with ethical codes and transparent corporate policy.