Public and private organisations promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to achieve competitive advantages in their relationship with stakeholders. Different studies indicate that SMEs have found benefits in their CSR performance. The aim of the present study is contributing to the knowledge of the perception and motivation of SME managers on the performance of CSR, considering the stakeholder theory, through a qualitative case study in two different economic environments and institutional influences: Spanish and Peruvian. It is found that the values of the owners and managers direct the policies of CSR. In some cases, the demands of employees and consumers are satisfied to obtain benefits; however, in other cases, those demands are satisfied with a non-instrumental approach.