The affectation of socially responsible HR practice

This paper focuses on social responsibility (SR) and human resources in a context of small business. SR is defined as "obligations to constituent groups in society other than stockholders and beyond that prescribed by law and union contract” Jones (1980: p.59-60). Numerous studies have addressed the economic significance and effects of small enterprises but contributions to HR within small enterprises have remained unexplored in contemporary SR literature. A case research methodology employing theoretical replication was used to select 10 small enterprises that were chosen with the assistance of the Hunter Business Chamber, Australia. A semi-structured face-to-face interview with the owner of the enterprise who also functioned as the manager was undertaken using a research instrument comprised eight qualitative and open-ended questions. The questions specifically addressed the small enterprise HR priorities, owners‟ motivations, and financial contribution to SR. This research is designed to fill a gap that exists in the literature and can be considered innovative and timely given the growing interest by society in the SR area from a small enterprise perspective. The principal objective of this research is to broaden the understanding of so small enterprises by addressing the research problem: “Are human resource policies of small enterprises socially responsibility or market driven?”