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This study investigated how and when corporate social responsibility (CSR) fosters job seekers' application intention using a mediated moderation model. Specifically, the study explored the positive effect of CSR on job seekers' intention to apply, the moderating role of applicants' calling and the mediating role of value congruence in the relationship between the person and organization.

The study sample consisted of 259 college students in South Korea. A quasi-experimental design and survey were used. Data were analyzed using a regression-based path analysis to test a mediated moderation model.

The results showed that CSR significantly increased job seekers' application intention, which was moderated by their calling. Furthermore, the interaction between CSR and calling on application intention was fully mediated by the value congruence between person and organization.

The results suggest that engaging in active CSR can effectively attract job applicants, especially those with a high calling, who are known as qualified workers needed for the organization. The findings can provide a competitive advantage to organizations in this highly competitive environment.

This study contributes to the understanding of the micro-effect of CSR by showing the positive influence of CSR on job seekers' application intention. Further, by evaluating a mediated moderation model, this study advances the field's understanding of the underlying mechanisms of CSR, especially in terms of calling and value congruence.

This study investigated how and when corporate social responsibility (CSR) fosters job seekers’ application intentions. The authors used a “mediated moderation mode” to explore the positive effect of CSR on job seekers’ intention to apply. They considered the moderating role of applicants’ calling and the mediating role of value congruence in the relationship between the person and organization.

To test their hypotheses the authors developed a questionnaire and sent it to a sample of 259 college students with a mean age of 22.67 in South Korea. All were either prospective or current job seekers and 55.2pc were female. Two scenarios were developed based on the real-life case of a well-known coffee franchise’s CSR policies. The scenarios were identical except that one had more proactive CSR policies.

Results showed that a company’s proactive CSR programs increase job seekers’ intention to apply, which was moderated by their “calling” for the job. The research also demonstrated that “value congruence” between the applicant and the organization fully mediated the interaction between CSR and calling. The results, the authors said, suggested that engaging in active CSR could attract job applicants, providing a potential competitive advantage.

The authors said their study contributed to the literature as it took the job seeker’s perspective whereas most previous research on calling focused on employees. They said it was the first study to empirically demonstrate the interaction between a sense of calling and CSR.