Employee Engagement in Corporate Social Initiatives (CSIs)
Akwasi Opoku-DakwaDepartment of Management & Global Business
Rutgers UniversityWith Chao C. Chen (Rutgers) and Deborah E. Rupp (Purdue)
Employee engagement in Corporate Social Initiatives (CSI)
Research question: • How do the characteristics of CSR programs affect employee
engagement in those programs
MotivationsExplore the• active role of employees in CSR• role of CSR initiative characteristics in shaping employee
engagement in CSR• role of impact (vs. social identity and exchange)
Presentation goals
• Share – theoretical model / conceptual paper– study design
• Solicit feedback
Employee engagement in CSIs
Key definitions / constructs• Corporate Social Initiative (CSI)
– Organizational programs of specific duration that are associated with a social issue and that have as a focal goal a positive social outcome not easily measured in terms of economic benefit to the organization
– E.g. eco-initiatives, volunteering programs, reporting and transparency initiatives
• CSI engagement– Voluntary engagement (attention) in CSIs
Background
• Prior work examining the effect of CSR on employees has focused on how attributions and rankings of organization-level CSR influence employee attraction, commitment and identification (cf. Jones et. al, 2014; Gully et. al, 2013; Kim et. al, 2010; Brammer et. al, 2007; See Booth et. al, 2009; Caligiuri et. al, 2013 for exceptions)
• Relationships explained using – Social identity theory - employees want to be members of responsible
companies– Social exchange theory – in return for organizations behaving
responsibly, employees are committed, loyal etc.
But…• Employees are not only observers but also actors in achieving
social responsibility (e.g. Bolton et. al, 2011)• Corporate social action occurs at the level of the CSI (Aguinis &
Glavas, 2012; McShane & Cunningham, 2011)
Employee engagement in CSR
Literature reviewOrganizations invest in CSR initiatives to (e.g. Benjamin, 2001; Mirvis, 2012)
1. Develop employees
2. Achieve strategic benefits (e.g. performance, reputation, relationship-building)
3. Achieve social benefits
CSI characteristics
1. CSI Employee-development opportunities
2. CSI strategic alignment
3. CSI Moral intensity
CSI Characteristics
ConstructsCSIs therefore vary in the degree to which they are associated with1. Employee development opportunities
– Opportunities to acquire or apply skills, knowledge and experience; build moral character; develop social capital through meaningful relationships (Clary et. al, 1998; Caligiuri et. al, 2013)
2. Strategic alignment– Alignment of program goals with business economic, financial and
competitive goals (Aguinis & Glavas, 2013)
3. Moral intensity (Jones, 1991)– Magnitude of consequences associated with the social issue being
addressed
Theoretical model: Main effects
CSI content characteristics affect CSI engagement through the mediation of multiple impacts on the community, the employer and the employee
Perceived Impacts
CSI content Characteristics
CSI Engagement
• Employee development opportunities
• Strategic alignment• Moral intensity
On theEmployee,Employer,Community
Initiative level of analysis
Individual level of analysis
Main effects
Theory• Employees have self-interested, relational, and moral motives for
engaging in CSR (Aguilera, Rupp, Williams, & Ganapathi, 2007; Peloza& Hassay, 2006; Peloza et. al, 2009)
• Human motivation is rooted in the perceived impact that actions will have on one’s environment (Bandura, 2001; Hackman & Oldham, 1976)
• CSI employee-development opportunities self-interested motives employee CSI engagement
• CSI Strategic alignment self-interested and relational motives employee CSI engagement
• CSI Moral intensity moral and relational motives employee CSI engagement
• These effects will occur through the psychological mechanism of perceived impacts of the CSI
Main effects
• Proposition 1: CSIs that provide more employee development opportunities will motivate greater CSI engagement through the mediation of perceived CSI impact on the employee.
• Proposition 2: CSIs that are more aligned with a company’s strategic goals will motivate greater CSI engagement through the mediation of perceived positive CSI impacts on the employer.
• Proposition 3: CSIs with greater moral intensity will motivate greater CSI engagement through the mediation of perceived positive CSI impacts on external beneficiaries.
Perceived Impacts
CSI content Characteristics CSI Engagement
• Employee development opportunities
• Strategic alignment• Moral intensity
On theEmployee,Employer,Community
Perceived Impacts
CSI content Characteristics
CSI implementation Characteristics
CSI Engagement
How do CSI implementation characteristics moderate the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts?
• Employee development opportunities
• Strategic alignment• Moral intensity
On theEmployee,Employer,Community
• CSI resource commitment• CSI communication
Constructs• CSI Resource Commitment
– the level of resources committed to the initiative– Tangible assets (e.g. financial and logistical support; Booth et al.,
2009; Caligiuri et al., 2013; Ramus & Steger, 2000)– Intangible assets (e.g. managerial attention; O’Reilly, Caldwell,
Chatman, Lapiz, & Self, 2010; Ocasio, 1997)
CSI resource commitment moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
Theory• Adequate resources increase likelihood of goal achievement
– Content characteristics reflect only goals / intentions, not outcomes– Mismatch between goals and resources may occur due to managerial
ineffectiveness or lack of commitment
• For CSIs to be perceived as impactful, committed resources must be
– Sufficient (over time) size, variety, duration and consistency of resources (Du, Bhattacharya, & Sen, 2010; McShane & Cunningham, 2011)
CSI resource commitment moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
• Proposition 4: CSI resource commitment will enhance the positive effects of CSI content on perceived CSI impacts.
CSI resource commitment moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
Literature review• Employees’ perceptions of CSI impact influenced by
communication from external stakeholders, stories, rumors, and individual accounts within the organization (cf. Bentele & Nothhaft, 2011; Chouliaraki & Morsing, 2010; Golob et al., 2013; McShane & Cunningham, 2011)
Construct• CSI communication
– information formally provided by the organization to its employees about the goals and progress of a CSR initiative
CSI communication moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
Theory• Communication provides social accounts and representations of
initiative outcomes that employees can further evaluate from their unique perspective (Griffin, Bateman, Wayne, & Head, 1987; Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978; Ihlen et al., 2011; Tost, 2011)
• Higher quality CSI communication should increase correspondence between CSI content and employee perceptions of impact
– Dimensions of quality: comprehensiveness, validity, timeliness• Comprehensiveness – degree to which CSI communication
addresses all the CSI goals• Validity – degree to which CSI communication is fact-based and
consistent with existing facts• Timeliness – degree to which CSI relevant information is
communicated in a timely manner as indicated e.g. by frequency of communication
CSI communication moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
• Proposition 5: CSI communication will enhance the positive effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived CSI impacts.
CSI communication moderates the effects of CSI content characteristics on perceived impacts
Perceived Impacts
CSI content Characteristics
CSI implementation Characteristics
CSI Engagement
Individual Differences Moderating the Effects of Perceived Impacts on CSI Engagement
• Employee development opportunities
• Strategic alignment• Moral intensity
On the Employee, Employer, Community
• CSI resource commitment • CSI communication
Employee identity
• Competence-based future self• Organizational identification• Identification with community beneficiaries• Moral identity
Employee’s Competence-Based Future Self will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impact on the Employee on CSI Engagement
Literature review• Possible selves “represent individuals' ideas of what they might become,
what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming” (Markus & Nurius, 1986:954)
– e.g. future, provisional, ideal, counterfactual and feared (or unwanted) selves (Higgins et al., 1994; Higgins, 1987; Ibarra, 1999; Markus & Nurius, 1986; Obodaru, 2012; Oyserman, Bybee, Terry, & Hart-Johnson, 2004; Petriglieri & Stein, 2012)
Construct• Competence-based future self
– the degree to which personal competence is central to an individual’s future self i.e. a “self-standard” to be adhered to across time and life domains (Crocker & Wolfe, 2001 p.594)
– an ideal involving being capable, imaginative, independent, responsible etc. (Rokeach, 1973; Weber, 1990)
Employee’s Competence-Based Future Self will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impact on the Employee on CSI Engagement
Theory• Needs, beliefs, and values are more likely to influence intentional action
when they are reflected in future selves that provide cognitive representations of self-fulfillment (Markus & Nurius, 1986).
• The stronger the competence-based future self, the more perceived opportunities for self-development will lead (through self-interested motives) to the employee committing more time, attention, and energy to participate in the CSI.
• Perceived impact on the employee would therefore have a stronger effect on CSI engagement for those high in competence-based future self-identity.
Employee’s Competence-Based Future Self will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impact on the Employee on CSI Engagement
• Proposition 6: Employee competence-based future self-identity will strengthen the positive relationship between perceived CSI impact on the employee and CSI engagement.
Employee’s Identification with Affected Groups will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impacts on CSI Engagement
Constructs• Organizational identification - the perception of oneness with, or
belongingness to, the employing organization• Identification with community beneficiaries - the perception of
oneness with, or belongingness to, the beneficiary group• Identification is a function of degree to which employee perceives shared
characteristics and experiences with members of the group
Employee’s Identification with Affected Groups will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impacts on CSI Engagement
Theory• The more employees identify with a social group, the more likely they are
to internalize and be motivated to contribute towards the goals of social group (Haslam et al., 2000; Levine & Crowther, 2008; Tajfel & Turner, 1979; van Knippenberg, van Knippenberg, De Cremer, & Hogg, 2004).
• Identification should increase the motivational power of perceived positive impacts on a stakeholder by increasing relational motives for engagement
• Proposition 7: The employee’s organizational identification will strengthen the relationship between perceived impact on the employer and employee engagement in the CSI.
• Proposition 8: The employee’s identification with external beneficiaries will strengthen the relationship between perceived impact on external beneficiaries and employee engagement in the CSI.
Employee’s Identification with Affected Groups will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impacts on CSI Engagement
Employee’s Moral Identity will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impact on Beneficiaries on CSI Engagement
Construct• Moral identity - the importance to a person’s self-construal of exhibiting
moral characteristics such as being caring, compassionate, generous, helpful and kind towards others (Aquino & Reed, 2002; Blasi, 1984).
Theory• Perceived CSI impact on external beneficiaries would have greater salience
for employees high in moral identity, because those high in moral identity tend to be more concerned about having positive impacts on others regardless of personal identification (Hannah, Avolio, & May, 2011; Reed & Aquino, 2003; Reynolds, 2008).
Employee’s Moral Identity will Moderate the Effects of Perceived Impact on Beneficiaries on CSI Engagement
• Proposition 9: Employee moral identity will strengthen the positive relationship between perceived CSI impact on external beneficiaries and CSI engagement.
Final theoretical model
Implications and Intended contributions
1. Explain multiple mechanisms underlying CSI engagement2. Emphasize substantive variation (relevant to CSI engagement) in
the content and implementation of CSIs3. Highlight the relevance of impact vs. identification in CSR
engagement4. Expand the notion of engagement at work to include “extra role”
behaviors (Morrison, 1994)
Study design
• Study 1: Experiment– Purpose: Test main effects– Design: 2 (development opportunities) x 2 (strategic alignment) x2
(moral intensity) between subjects– Sample: c. 200 students– Context: University diversity outreach program– Strength: experimental objective manipulation of IV– Limitation: student sample and low face validity
• Study 2: Field survey of recent volunteers– Purpose: Provide additional support and test moderating effects with a
more valid sample– Sample: Recent volunteers sourced on Amazon MTurk– Strengths: Face valid– Limitation: common method / same source bias; cross-sectional
Thank you
• Questions?• Suggestions?