The Role of Culture in Responsible Business Practice: An Exploration of Finnish and Russian SMEs

Abstract

National culture has been studied extensively in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) internationalization processes. With the current focus on the greater integration of SMEs into both international trade and achievement of global sustainability, it is worth investigating the role that national culture plays in SMEs’ responsible business practices in the cross-border business relationship context. The qualitative approach used to study Finnish and Russian SMEs reveals that the cultural differences are reflected in SMEs’ responsible business practices only to some extent while they are more visible in their international business. This study thus contributes to the literature on both SME internationalization and small business responsibility by applying the lens of national culture to the phenomenon of small business responsibility in international business relationships.