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1 – 10 of over 10000Nicole L. Gullekson, Anders Cedergren, Liz Arnold and Taggert Brooks
This paper aims to contribute to the growing body of research which demonstrates corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can be linked to individual-level outcomes, such…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to the growing body of research which demonstrates corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can be linked to individual-level outcomes, such as employee engagement, using a quasi-experimental field study to provide initial evidence of a casual effect for such programs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examined whether participating in an international corporate-sponsored volunteer program increased employee engagement by comparing a sample of employees, matched on their pre-trip engagement scores and other demographic variables, with employees who did not volunteer in the program and comparing the differences in this employee engagement after completing the volunteer experience.
Findings
Using an exact matching technique, the authors were able to isolate the influence of the volunteer program on employee engagement and demonstrate that the program was associated with increased employee engagement after the program ended.
Originality/value
This study provides additional, and stronger, support on the CSR and employee engagement relationship through isolating the causal influence of the volunteer program on engagement. Thus, it provides additional justification for the use of, and financial investment in, such programs by organizations.
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Srinivasan Sekar and Lata Dyaram
The purpose of this paper is to examine how some of the key aspects of employee motivation and their perception of volunteering programs impact their participation in corporate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how some of the key aspects of employee motivation and their perception of volunteering programs impact their participation in corporate volunteering. Specifically, this study argues that employee’s self-oriented motives to significantly influence employee participation than other-oriented motives. Similarly, this study also hypothesized that the corporate volunteering program characteristics to significantly relate to employee participation in corporate volunteering.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from 461 employee volunteers representing various industries across four different locations in India. A self-reported method was used to collect the data by administering the questionnaires.
Findings
The structural equation modeling results indicate that other-oriented motives (altruistic) and characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to significantly predict employee participation in corporate volunteering and self-oriented motives did not show significance in predicting employee participation.
Research limitations/implications
Results suggest that employee participation in volunteering is a function of not merely employee motivation but also how the volunteering programs are conceptualized and implemented.
Originality/value
This research study moves beyond mere role of employee motives analysis and considered the role of characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to impact employee volunteering behavior. Further, it highlights there is a differential impact of self- and other-oriented motives in predicting employee participation.
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Srinivasan Sekar and Lata Dyaram
The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the critical organizational support factors and efforts that facilitate better employee participation in corporate volunteering…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the critical organizational support factors and efforts that facilitate better employee participation in corporate volunteering (CV) programs. There is a growing interest to understand the role of organization in enhancing better employee participation in volunteering programs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an empirical investigation with (n = 461) employee volunteers, who participated in company sponsored volunteering programs. The authors tested the hypothesized relationship using structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
The SEM results indicate that cultural fit, organizational CV communication and implementation of CV programmes facilitate better employee participation.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides insights for organizations in terms of increased internal communication and alignment of organizational values with CV programmes to attract better employee participation in volunteering programmes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on the phenomenon of employee volunteering by examining various organizational efforts that facilitate better employee participation in volunteering programmes.
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This exploratory survey study investigated the alleged benefits associated with corporate volunteer programs. The results demonstrated that employees viewed volunteerism as an…
Abstract
This exploratory survey study investigated the alleged benefits associated with corporate volunteer programs. The results demonstrated that employees viewed volunteerism as an effective means of developing or enhancing several types of job‐related skills. This was particularly true for female employees and employees participating in a formal volunteer program. The results also demonstrated that organizational commitment was higher for volunteers from companies with a corporate volunteer program than for non‐volunteers with organizations without a corporate volunteer program. Finally, the results indicated that job satisfaction was related to volunteerism among female employees, but not for male employees.
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This study assesses the relevance of both individual and contextual factors as an antecedent to employee participation in corporate volunteering (CV) activities and affective…
Abstract
Purpose
This study assesses the relevance of both individual and contextual factors as an antecedent to employee participation in corporate volunteering (CV) activities and affective organizational commitment and inter-role conflict as an outcome of employee volunteering. This study draws from the functional theory of motivation, social exchange theory and role strain perspective to explain hypothesized relationship of the study constructs.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was administered with 461 employee volunteers who had participated in company-sponsored volunteering programs. The authors adopted structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the study hypotheses.
Findings
The findings from the survey suggest that altruistic motives and organization CV capability will impact employee's participation in CV. The results highlight that employee participation in CV enhances affective organizational commitment, indicating that employee volunteering creates inter-role conflict.
Research limitations/implications
Though the study has identified inter-role conflict as a potentially unfavorable outcome, exploring when and how employee volunteering will create a negative effect will add significant value to organizations to protect the interest of their employees.
Practical implications
This study provides insights to understand the relative effects of self- and other-oriented motives. The results suggest that organizations have more directed and carefully designed employee volunteering activities to enable more favorable benefits to employees.
Originality/value
This study contributes to expanding the knowledge on the phenomenon of employee volunteering by introducing and empirically validating an integrated framework of antecedents and consequences of employee volunteering.
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Matt C. Howard and Emory Serviss
The authors argue that many core findings are not as established as often assumed in the study of corporate volunteering programs, and they assess this possibility by reporting a…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors argue that many core findings are not as established as often assumed in the study of corporate volunteering programs, and they assess this possibility by reporting a meta-analysis of both organizational and employee participation that includes relations with antecedents and outcomes at both organizational and employee levels.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors perform a meta-analysis of 57 sources, including 30 peer-reviewed articles, 16 theses/dissertations, 8 unpublished manuscripts, 2 conference presentations and 1 book chapter.
Findings
Of the antecedents, organizational size only had a small relation with organizational participation, but the effect of corporate social responsibility orientation was very large on organizational participation. Demographic characteristics as well as personality traits had a small relation with employee participation, whereas the effect of volunteering attitudes was large on employee participation. Of the outcomes, organizational participation did not significantly relate to customer perceptions. Employee participation had nonsignificant or small relations with well-being, commitment, job satisfaction and positive behaviors; however, organizational participation also significantly related to all employee-level outcomes, and the effect was significantly stronger than employee participation for two of four outcomes.
Practical implications
Organizations can better understand the true influence of corporate volunteering programs, aiding their bottom line and employee well-being.
Originality/value
Several commonly assumed antecedents and outcomes do not relate to corporate volunteering participation, and future research should be redirected to more influential effects. The authors’ discussion highlights theories that may be particularly beneficial for the study of corporate volunteering, including social identity theory and role expansion theory.
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Yinyin Cao, Frits K. Pil and Benn Lawson
This study aims to provide insight on how work–life initiatives impact employees. Using corporate volunteer programs as an example, the authors examine the role of coworker social…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide insight on how work–life initiatives impact employees. Using corporate volunteer programs as an example, the authors examine the role of coworker social influence in shaping the reactions of both employee participants and non-participants of the program. The paper further identifies several factors that may moderate these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors surveyed employees before and after the implementation of a new corporate work–life initiative. 99 employees provided data pre and post. OLS regression and hierarchical linear modeling were used to test hypothesized relationships.
Findings
Even in the context of low participation, work–life initiatives engendered positive organization-related perceptions among employees. These positive outcomes were due in part to coworkers' sharing of their volunteer experiences and were most prominent for employees in positions that afforded flexibility, and employees who reported close ties with coworkers.
Practical implications
The study deepens our understanding of employee reactions to work–life programs and underlines the importance of these programs even when employee participation is low. The role of coworker influence as a determinant of employee reactions suggests there may be value in purposefully fostering participants' sharing of volunteer experiences in the workplace.
Originality/value
This study takes a unique approach to examining the role of coworker influence in shaping employee reactions to corporate initiatives.
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Gary D. Geroy, Philip C. Wright and Laura Jacoby
The purpose of the research is to provide HR managers with some guidance, as they develop employee volunteer programs to meet specific workforce needs. Structured interviews were…
Abstract
The purpose of the research is to provide HR managers with some guidance, as they develop employee volunteer programs to meet specific workforce needs. Structured interviews were conducted with eight employees. The data suggest that employees who volunteer time believe that such experiences benefit them personally and improve their ability to perform their work duties. There were slight differences in program type, with those employees involved in programs characterized by high management support and commitment tending to perceive that they reap high overall rewards for their volunteer activities. The perceived impact of volunteer activities on employees included: an improved ability to cope with job challenges; the development of contacts and skills that can be used on the job; improved self‐esteem and a sense of pride. These factors can increase employees’ ability to be proactive problem solvers on the job.
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Colin W. Morgan and Jon Burchell
This paper seeks to understand the views of employees in a UK company on an employee vounteering (ESV) scheme. It further seeks to advance theory in this area by integrating…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to understand the views of employees in a UK company on an employee vounteering (ESV) scheme. It further seeks to advance theory in this area by integrating organisational identity (OI) and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The paper moves forward the scholarly work on ESV by interviewing employees who do and do not volunteer within ESV schemes.
Design/methodology/approach
A purpose sample of 31 (n = 31) interviewees was drawn from all levels of the studied organisation. The method follows a qualitative approach using NVIVO as the analysis tool. The interview was triangulated using a focus group.
Findings
Employees have a range of emotions and responses to a company operating an ESV scheme. The study is particularly interesting in that it studies employees of a gambling organisation that bring in further rich employee views on the scheme. Much of the sparse literature on ESV does not pick up on UK‐based organisations and this study is therefore revealing.
Research limitations/implications
Managers of corporate responsibility (CR) in organisations should be concerned with how they implement their CR programmes – especially with respect to how they establish and communicate ESV programmes. Academics will find value in viewing ESV through a conjunction of OCB and OI theories. The research could be replicated in other large UK organisations with similiar ESV programmes to test whether the experiences of employees are widespread in other organisations.
Practical implications
The paper tacitly questions the impact of ESV programmes on the employee stakeholder group and suggests that, unless ESV programmes are well run and well communicated – and given a good budget, employees may in fact view the programme negatively. It demonstrates that CR is not simply a “nice to have” that can be simply bolted on.
Social implications
Organisations, especially those in the third sector that work with corporates, need to understand the role of ESV schemes in their partner companies and consider the views of employees and the strategic logic of the companies before embarking on working together.
Originality/value
This is an original piece of work in a relatively under‐researched area. This is the first study to consider volunteers and non‐volunteers in an ESV scheme in a UK‐based company – the added dimension of interest and value is that the studied organisation was a gambling business.
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Anna S. Mattila and Lydia Hanks
The purpose of this study is to understand how consumers perceive corporate volunteering programs. In particular, the author examines the moderating role of information processing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand how consumers perceive corporate volunteering programs. In particular, the author examines the moderating role of information processing and customer relationship status on consumer attitudes towards two types of volunteering programs: employee vs customer.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a scenario method, the author manipulated customer relationship status and program type while information processing was measured.
Findings
The author's results demonstrate that elaborate processing has a positive impact on credibility of the program and altruistic motivation of the firm. Less involved processing led to lower favorable trait attributions with employee rather than customer-based volunteering programs. Finally, relationship type moderated the impact of program type on attitudes towards the company.
Originality/value
These findings contribute to the understanding of customer reactions to corporate volunteering programs by examining the ways in which processing level, loyalty status, and program type interact to influence the customer's perception of the company.
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