Micro-power dynamics within teams when implementing corporate social responsibility − A case of SMEs in Vietnam

Abstract

A micro-turn in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research has been growing scholarly attention on what happens internally when CSR is developed and implemented in firms. A critical yet underexplored dimension of CSR implementation lies in the internal dynamics of CSR teams, where members with differing goals, values, and professional backgrounds must collaborate, often amid competing priorities, limited resources, and moral ambiguity. While existing research tends to portray CSR teams as internally cohesive and unified agents of change, less attention has been paid to the intra-team negotiations, tensions, and power struggles that shape how CSR is enacted on the ground. This gap is particularly salient given the cross-functional and morally complex nature of CSR teams, where collaboration is not always seamless, and alignment is not guaranteed. Based on interviews with 56 team members in 16 CSR project teams in Vietnam, we explore the power dynamics of CSR implementation within SMEs. Our findings illustrate how three forms of power—relational, discursive, and performative—are embedded in the micro-dynamics of CSR teams within Vietnamese SMEs, shaping implementation processes in ways that extend beyond top-down directives. By revealing the heterogeneity of CSR managers and showing how resource scarcity and informal networks intensify intra-team tensions, the study challenges the prevailing assumption that CSR teams function as unified and harmonious entities. Instead, it uncovers the political struggles and power conflicts among team members, highlighting the complexity of intra-team power dynamics and exposing how these dynamics can contribute to symbolic rather than transformative CSR outcomes in resource-constrained settings.