Conceptualizing the Role of SMEs as Political Actors in Global Governance

I theoretically discuss the emerging role of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as private actors in global governance – referring to the collective rule-making and rule-implementation among public and private actors on a global scale. Drawing on the concepts of ‘political’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social connection, I suggest that SMEs are as much as multinational corporations (MNEs) exposed to governance gaps of social and environmental regulation when operating in the global marketplace. However, they do not follow the same approach to (political) CSR as MNEs, due to different organizational characteristics, limited financial and human resources and motivational factors. I develop a conceptual framework for the systematic assessment of how SMEs approach global governance and embed political responsibility in their organizational settings.