Sustainability drives small business leaders

The central question addressed was what motivates small business leaders to incorporate social responsibility in their companies¿ mission, vision, and culture. In particular, there is a knowledge gap about what motivates small business leaders to take both financial and non-financial actions to support their employees, their local economies, and their communities. Interviews with three small business owners in Michigan were coded to identify key emergent themes explaining why

small business leaders contributed to their local communities. Theoretical or conceptual support for the study included Carroll¿s social performance model, Vroom¿s expectancy theory, and CCI strategies. The literature review included that of motivation and social responsibility.