Publication Type

Master Thesis

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is regarded as voluntary bahaviors that contribute to the soceity welfare. Based on the concept of sustainable development, corporations should not only stress on their economic and business outcomes, but also pay attention to their effect on the society and environment. Corporations are expected to engage in the improvement of their employees' quality of life, as well as the well-being of employees' families, local communities, and the overall society. With the acceleration of global integration, CSR has become a main concern by the public, and is considered as an essential part of the business strategy. It could attract investors and customers, as well as maintain a positive interaction with the government. A growing number of studies have been done regarding the benefits of CSR. However, most are concerned with the financial and customer perspective, while very little attention has been paid to employees. CSR research on the employee level is still in its infancy. In order to better understand its effect on the employees, this study explore the impact of employees' perception of CSR on subsequent work attitudes and behaviors. A conceptual framework is proposed based on literature. In this study, a survey was conducted. Data was collected from Chinese employees and managers to examine the effect of CSR. The findings of this study indicate that CSR has a significant effect on employees work attitudes and behaviors. CSR could improve employees' attitudes and behaviors, contribute to corporations' success, and achieve a win-win situation. Therefore, corporations should attach importance to CSR practice so as to benefit employees. In addition, four dimensions of CSR, namely economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities, deserve equal attention. Each dimension has its influence and cannot be ignored. The results show that philanthropic responsibility, which is not directly related to employees, also has influence on work attitudes and behaviors. In terms of work attitudes, job satisfaction and organizational commitment function as important mediators between CSR perception and employees' behaviors. As a result, corporations should take account of the employee level of participation when engaged in CSR activities. This study contributes a framework to better understand the effect of CSR on employees work attitudes and behaviors.

Keywords

corporate social responsibility, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work attitudes, work behaviors, stakeholder theory

Degree Awarded

MSc in Management

Discipline

Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Labor Relations | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Supervisor(s)

TAN, Gilbert Yip Wei

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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