CSR perceptions and employee creativity: examining serial mediation effects of meaningfulness and work engagement
ISSN: 1747-1117
Article publication date: 24 October 2018
Issue publication date: 20 February 2019
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions foster employee creativity. Specifically, an attempt is made to investigate the intervening role of meaningfulness and work engagement to explain the above linkage.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample consisted of 316 employees from different information technology firms in India. Ordinary least square regression procedures were used to test the study hypotheses with the help of SPSS Process macro.
Findings
Employees’ perceptions of CSR were found to show both direct and indirect effect on their creativity. Work engagement was found to partially mediate the relationship of perceived CSR and creativity. In addition, results supported the serial mediation model where CSR was found to exercise its influence on creativity via meaningfulness and work engagement in a sequential manner.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that being a good corporate citizen can pay employers in terms of enhanced employee engagement and creativity, which can provide competitive advantage to the organizations in this highly competitive business environment.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the understanding of micro-foundations of CSR by showing whether and how employees’ perceptions of CSR relate to various workplace outcomes. Further, by investigating the complex serial mediation process, it contributes to the extant literature by advancing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which CSR influences employee creativity.
Keywords
Citation
Chaudhary, R. and Akhouri, A. (2019), "CSR perceptions and employee creativity: examining serial mediation effects of meaningfulness and work engagement", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 61-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-01-2018-0018
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited