What is the link between ‘Made in’ and corporate social responsibility in SMEs? The value of socially oriented behavior in ‘hostile’ territories

The image of the area is undoubtedly an important determinant in its
prosperity, attracting capital and foreign investors, but at the same time it
conveys the image of companies located there.
In recent times, the Italian territory has not enjoyed a good reputation.
The economic and political crisis, and the not exactly inspiring personal
stories of the primary institutional partners, have all deeply undermined
its image. If the land is not attractive all businesses are affected, but
particularly those who have used the territory from which they come,
and the value of ‘Made in’, to open up business opportunities in foreign
markets.
In this chapter the author analyses the relationship between corporate
social responsibility (CSR) and ‘Made in’ in small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), adding depth to a topic already addressed from other
angles by this author (De Chiara 2009, 2012), with a view to recording the
importance of the territorial factor and of its image for the international
competitiveness of SMEs, while at the same time identifying the need for
CSR in the event of a loss of value of ‘Made in’