Introduction
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained an increasingly high attention in recent years. CSR can be defined as the ways in which businesses align their values and behaviors with their various stakeholders such as employees, suppliers, customers, government and other societal interests on whom their operation may have an impact.
The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Dubai government and the UAE has always been present from the earliest Islamic times, with people and organizations practising Islamic values, donating through philanthropy and Shariah compliant ways of commerce. In recent years, there have been worldwide initiatives to invest responsibly and focus on investing profits into community life and saving the environment.
CSR addresses a company’s transparency or openness and considering its stakeholders’ expectations. This means that business does more than act out of self-interest and shows social responsibility (Juholin, 2004). Companies cannot operate any more entirely independently and need to consider the needs of society and welfare of the community. Organizations now realize that in order to survive and stay unique in business and obtain strategic advantages, they need to practice being socially responsible. Many larger organizations have already integrated CSR into their strategic plans as an important factor in order to have a sustainable business. Although larger enterprises have more impact on society today, SMEs are also considered as a leading area of business with great influence on society due to the fact that they comprise the largest business sector and are dominant employers in most economies.
CSR awareness is increasing in the Middle East,particularly in Dubai. One of the main motivators for CSR in the UAE is the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and CSR centre namely; Centre for Responsible Business