An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Lean Production and Corporate Social Responsibility in Vietnamese SMEs

In recent decades, along with a deeper integration into the world economy, when Vietnamese enterprises have had to respect and comply with international competitive laws, the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has drawn a lot of attention and become an essential requirement for enterprises today. However, many Vietnamese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are still wandering around trying to find ways to implement CSR while at the same time they have to face a number of challenges such as low productivity, out-of-date technology, and limited financial and human resources. This paper presents the concept of lean manufacturing in CSR, and points out the arguments showing that lean manufacturing can be a solution to effective and sustainable CSR implementation. An empirical research model will also be suggested to study the relationship between lean manufacturing and CSR in the context of Vietnamese SMEs.