CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGY AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Abstract

In the current era of digital economic transformation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in ensuring the flexibility, innovation, and competitiveness of the national economy. However, digitalization brings not only new opportunities, but also some challenges: changing consumer behavior, increasing requirements for business transparency, increasing social responsibility and the need for environmental sustainability. In this context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gaining special importance as a tool for long-term strategic management that combines the economic interests of the enterprise with the social and environmental expectations of society. The relevance of this study stems from the transformation of the socio-economic environment under the influence of digitalization, which poses new challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine and globally. In the conditions of the digital economy, enterprises are forced not only to adapt business models to digital technologies, but also to reconsider approaches to interaction with society, partners and the state. In this context, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy acts as a key tool for shaping sustainable business development, its competitiveness and trust from stakeholders. The problem is the insufficient level of integration of CSR principles into the strategic management of SMEs, which reduces their adaptability to the challenges of digital transformation and slows down innovative development. This problem is especially acute in conditions of limited resources and weak institutional support for the SME sector. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the strategic importance of corporate social responsibility for the effective functioning and development of small and medium-sized businesses in the digital economy, as well as to develop recommendations for its integration into the management processes of enterprises. The article systematizes scientific approaches to the interpretation of CSR in the context of the digital economy and identifies barriers and opportunities for implementing CSR in SMEs; As a result of the study, it was found that strategic CSR can enhance innovative activity, increase the digital competence of personnel, ensure sustainable interaction with customers and communities, and strengthen the reputation of enterprises. Practical recommendations include the implementation of digital platforms for monitoring CSR initiatives, the development of industry standards for social responsibility, and the involvement of SMEs in state and partnership programs for digital development with a social component.