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Is the Perception of ‘Goodness’ Good Enough? Exploring the Relationship Between Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Organizational Identification

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Abstract

Drawing on social identity theory and organizational identification theory, we develop a model of the impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on employees’ organizational identification. We argue that employees’ perceptions of their company’s social responsibility behaviors are more important than organizational reality in determining organizational identification. After defining perceived corporate social responsibility (PCSR), we postulate how PCSR affects organizational identification when perception and reality are aligned or misaligned. Implications for organizational practice and further research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. KLD Research & Analytics, Inc, is an investment research firm providing management tools to professionals integrating environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) into their investment decisions (www.kld.com).

  2. The Hay Group has partnered with Fortune Magazine for over ten years to identify and rank The World’s Most Admired Companies (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010).

  3. Stop Greenwatch: http://www.StopGreenwash.org/.

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  1. 366 Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA

    Ante Glavas

  2. Division of Business, Champlain College, P.O. Box 670, Burlington, VT, 05402, USA

    Lindsey N. Godwin

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  1. Ante Glavas
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  2. Lindsey N. Godwin
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Correspondence to Ante Glavas.

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Both authors contributed equally and names appear in alphabetical order.

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Glavas, A., Godwin, L.N. Is the Perception of ‘Goodness’ Good Enough? Exploring the Relationship Between Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Organizational Identification. J Bus Ethics 114, 15–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1323-5

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