When CSR Is a Social Norm

Abstract

Socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM), defined as corporate social responsibility (CSR) directed at employees, underpins the successful implementation of CSR. While its relationship with employee social behavior has been conceptualized and received some empirical support, its effect on employee work behaviors has not been explored. In this article we develop and test a meso-mediated moderation model that explains the underlying mechanisms through which SRHRM affects employee task performance and extra-role helping behavior. The results of multilevel analysis show that organization-level SRHRM is an indirect predictor of individual task performance and extra-role helping behavior through the mediation of individual-level organizational identification. In addition, the mediation model is moderated by employee-level perceived organizational support and the relationship between organizational identification and extra-role helping behavior is moderated by organization-level cooperative norms. These findings provide important insights into why and when SRHRM influences employee work behaviors.