RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIOAMBIENTAL NA MICRO E PEQUENA EMPRESA: PRÁTICAS E DESAFIOS

Small sized enterprises account for the most part of the companies in Brasil and perform an important social and economic role. However, social and environmental aspects related to these firms are still not fully understood. This research analyses the main motivation factors for the adoption of environmental initiatives by the small sized enterprises and also the challenges faced by these companies in this field. The research study method includes a documental analysis of 70 companies of the environmental program SEBRAE-SP and interviews with 42 owners of these companies. Research results shows that compulsory regulations remains as the main factor that stimulate small sized companies to adopt environmental initiatives in order to avoid fines and environmental litigation. Moreover, companies prioritarize fragmented environmental and social initiatives that demand limited financial investment. Another finding of this research is that the environmental information supplied by professional organizations can contribute to overcome some of the challenges faced by small companies