24th MEB Conference - Budapest, 24.04.2026

Economic and environmental dimensions of responsibility have received much scholarly attention and have been widely utilized in educational programs. However, social responsibility has received limited attention. Additionally, practical measures of social responsibility have not been utilized in the competence development of SMEs and the impact of recruitment on enhancing social responsibility has not been widely recognized. Responsible recruitment is increasingly relevant in Finland. The emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion aligns with societal values. Legislative changes and increased stakeholder awareness further increase its importance. Our study is based on a project, in which Laurea and LAB UAS created CSR courses for Finnish SMEs. We explore the connection of responsible recruitment and social responsibility of SMEs, describe its key elements and provide practical implications and feedback of SMEs.