The impact of external CSR practices on employees : Exploring the organizational activities that influence employee engagement within CSR

Abstract: Fundamentally the aim of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to initiate social and/or environmental change. Because of the increased awareness of stakeholders and other public actors, it has become of any company’s interest to uphold their public image. The question remains whether companies undertake CSR activities for intrinsic moral reasons or to only uphold their reputation. Most research regarding CSR focuses on the influence of external factors (such as major stakeholders) and how different goals and opinions between these major actors reciprocate. One stakeholder within the sphere of CSR which has often been overlooked but has gained increased attention is the employee. So far, little attention has been paid to the people at work, like the human experience of the worker, thus questions remain regarding the influence of CSR activities on the identification, commitment, and satisfaction of employees.