Research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is highly warranted given that SMEs are looked to, not least in times of economic crisis, to both generate economic growth and contribute to job creation, welfare and citizenship. The contribution of SMEs is of particular importance in developing economies where governments often failed to enforce basic social and environmental standards or to provide basic social services. However, research on CSR in emerging/developing countries and research on SMEs has tended to operate in silos. Our purpose is to bring together the mainstream, developing country and SME-CSR literatures into the same arena and create an environment for exchange and cross-learning between these sub-disciplines. The main aims of the proposed seminar series are: - to assess the current state of knowledge on CSR among emerging and developing country SMEs; - to re-examine the predictors, outcomes, moderators and mediators in the CSR-SME relationship; - to create an environment for effective exchange and cross-learning between different sub-fields on this topic; - to explore how the positive social and environmental impact of SMEs can be maximised. An important characteristic of the seminar series will be bringing UK-based experts together with experts from developing nations from Africa and Asia. In order to fully benefit from developing nation expertise and perspectives, we propose that one seminar will be held in Botswana to coincide with the Africa Academy of Management 2014 conference. We will also use that seminar as our leading - though not only - opportunity to support and develop PhD students and early career researchers in their scholarship. Given the global nature of supply chains and markets and the differing economic and cultural contexts we envisage a great deal of synergy and growth can be generated from the proposed seminar series and its associated dissemination of learning and impact on practice. This research seminar series proposal has the particular purpose of enabling exchange of learning across regions and, in particular collaboration between practitioners, policy-makers and scholars to help ensure relevance, impact and dissemination of the learning to SMEs and their supporting intermediaries. We anticipate that learning will be multilateral, and not just the common narrow assumption of developed countries 'teaching' those in developing and emerging economies. The seminar series proposal is a collaboration between expert academics and practitioners with experience in the CSR/SME context. The academics leading the proposal are internationally known for their work in all the elements of this proposal - CSR, SMEs, developing, emerging and developed economy contexts. The practitioners have cross-European and global SME membership on which they can draw, and through which they can ensure relevance and seek to support impact on CSR in SMEs. The association with the CSR policy advisor within the European Commission ensures the opportunity for high level impact on policy. The specific subjects of our seminar series are designed to ensure full opportunities for building academic and practical knowledge in areas which we, in consultation with others, consider to be most beneficial - which include comparative perspectives, SMEs within supply chains, governance frameworks for SMEs, social entrepreneurship and responsible finance. The interdisciplinary, academic/practitioner and international nature of the multilevel research which will be promoted will build on existing networks and collaborations and will contribute on several levels to ESRC's strategic objectives around sustainable growth, a fair society and positively influencing SME behaviour and informing interventions. Our discussions with relevant stakeholders have revealed a strongly felt need for this seminar series, as indicated by the enclosed letters of support.

Mid-tier accounting and law firms (with revenues between £5m and £250m) can improve productivity and enhance their services to clients and society if they use digital technology - including artificial intelligence - more effectively. But they are often reluctant to adopt technology. This is partly because they are uncertain about which technology to use, how to use it, and whether it will be of benefit. The partnership structures of accountancy and law firms, the traditional roles and identities of lawyers and accountants, and external factors such as education, training, regulation and career structures can also present obstacles to technology adoption. This project will provide structured methods and supporting resources to help selected accountancy and law firms accelerate their technology adoption. In doing this, the project team will also learn in more depth about how the various forms of support contribute to helping firms, and how the various obstacles can impede progress. This understanding will be used to develop templates, tools and support to help other firms in future. It will also be used to change the context in which adoption is undertaken, by bringing to the surface and reducing the obstacles presented by rules, regulations, assumptions and patterns of working that result from firms' interactions with other organisations such as professional bodies, regulators, government departments, clients and technology vendors. Overall, the project will create a market where technology adoption is less risky, complicated and potentially threatening, and therefore easier to do with confidence. The project will cater for firms at different stages of experience with technology adoption, from relative beginners to those who already use some technology but would like to extend its use. Three types of acceleration will be provided, depending on the starting-point of the firms. For beginners, basic training and advice will be provided to help them use software such as Microsoft 365 that they already have. The aim here will be to get the firms started by conducting a short project to implement the technology for one pilot application in the firm. For those who are a little more prepared, resources, technical advice and support will be provided, and a cohort of about eight to ten firms formed, who will help and encourage each other in their adoption projects. Mentoring will be provided as firms conduct their projects, and work towards a concluding event where they demonstrate what they have achieved within their firms, to the other firms, and to the wider project community. Two to four more advanced firms will get the technical or managerial help needed to further advance their technology adoption journey, and to build ways to demonstrate the value of innovation adoption more clearly. For all firms involved in the project, an innovation adoption acceleration fund will help de-risk investments in new digital technologies - this being crucial to secure participation in the project and create opportunities to learn about will create a sustainable market for innovation adoption in the future. The project team will draw together insights about which of the various forms of acceleration help are successful, for firms at different stages, and what can be done to remove obstacles in the wider social and business environment. By exhibiting outcomes widely, and consulting through workshops and roundtable meetings, the team will develop tools and roadmaps, and recommend policy changes that make adoption easier and less risky for firms, from beginners to more experienced adopters. This process of learning about how to make acceleration happen in these sectors will also lead to research findings and better theories about how innovation adoption can be accelerated more generally. It will also reveal how professions in general, and accountancy and law in particular, adapt to and sometimes resist the changes needed for digital adoption.