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“We do care”: the effects of perceived CSR on employee identification - empirical findings from a developing country

Taposh Roy (Department of HR Management and Organisational Behaviour, Southampton Business School, University of Southampton, Southampton,UK)

Society and Business Review

ISSN: 1746-5680

Article publication date: 22 June 2022

Issue publication date: 10 January 2024

329

Abstract

Purpose

Although employees are considered key stakeholders, they receive limited attention in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature compared to other stakeholders such as customers. This study aims to address this gap, investigating how different factors, including CSR communication, may affect employee perceptions, and to what extent they can influence or be influenced by CSR activity.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from three multinationals (MNCs) operating in Bangladesh. Mid- and entry-level employees from different departments, namely, marketing, logistics, human resources, IT and finance, were approached for data collection. It is important to note that all the study participants were Bangladeshi.

Findings

This study demonstrates how CSR perceptions, shaped by the level of employee awareness, personal beliefs about CSR and perceived motivation for adopting CSR, strengthen psychological ties between employees and their organisation. One-way CSR communication adopted by these MNCs disseminates positive information about an organisation’s contribution to society and creates an aspirational and ideational image, which enhances identification, evokes positive in-group biases and encourages employees to defend their organisation against criticism. This study further demonstrates that employee CSR engagement can galvanise their experience of organisational identity, enhance their pride and reinforce their organisational identification.

Originality/value

Drawing on social identity theory and the CSR communication model proposed by Morsing and Schultz (2006), this study aims to understand employees’ CSR perceptions and the possible impact of this on their behaviour. Previous studies largely focus on customers’ perceptions of these activities, which means the link between CSR perception and employee behaviour remains unclear. The current study suggests that employees working in Bangladesh will not withdraw support from their organisations if CSR is used to build reputation or public image. The findings extend the literature by arguing that some employees in developing countries not only seek to improve their status by working in a reputed organisation but also tend to engage with CSR activities undertaken by their organisation.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the editor, Prof. Debbie Haski‐Leventhal, and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments throughout the review process. He also thanks Dr Jon Burchell and Prof. Joe Cook for their helpful comments on his very early version of the work.

Citation

Roy, T. (2024), "“We do care”: the effects of perceived CSR on employee identification - empirical findings from a developing country", Society and Business Review, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 72-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBR-06-2021-0091

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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