Towards Socially Responsible SMEs: Quality Awards as a Tool

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a theme that is integrated into the quality management concept with increasing emphasis. Although CSR has been discussed as a philosophy and strategy applied mostly by large firms, recent revisions of the award schemes for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) serve as a means to promote the concept among smaller firms. The European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model combines social issues, strategy, stakeholders, and structure in a unique way to support SMEs in fulfilling their social responsibilities. The paper investigates the extent to which the EFQM Excellence Model provides guidance in integrating CSR in quality management and then discusses the extent to which the concept can be operationalized by SMEs, giving examples from two quality award finalists in Turkey