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Corporate social responsibility and employee engagement: can CSR help in redressing the engagement gap?

Richa Chaudhary (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, India)

Social Responsibility Journal

ISSN: 1747-1117

Article publication date: 5 June 2017

5070

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the influence of employees’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions on their engagement level at work. In addition, the study looks into the contingencies of the relationship by proposing and examining gender as moderator of the proposed relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consisted of 187 business professionals from both public and private sector manufacturing and service firms operating in India. The study uses a non-experimental correlational field study design. The data were collected with the help of self-administered questionnaires via both personal visits to the organizations and internet-based questionnaire using snowball sampling. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

The study results clearly underscore the potential of firm’s involvement in CSR activities in influencing the employee attitude and behaviour at work. However, the study findings failed to show any significant effect of interaction between CSR and gender on employee engagement.

Practical implications

Given the positive association of CSR with employee engagement irrespective of gender differences as reflected in the study results, CSR can actually be used across the organizations as tool for talent management.

Originality/value

The study bridges the macro-micro divide and addresses to the need for micro level research in CSR stream by examining the influence of CSR perceptions on work engagement level of employees. The study advances existing body of knowledge beyond developed Western economies by exploring the strategic value of CSR in India, which presents a unique cultural context to look at.

Keywords

Citation

Chaudhary, R. (2017), "Corporate social responsibility and employee engagement: can CSR help in redressing the engagement gap?", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 323-338. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-07-2016-0115

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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