The effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on employee motivation : a cross-national study

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of employee-centred Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) considerations in exploring CSR's effect on employee work motivation. It is our contention that beyond CSR's link to external factors (e.g. PR, philanthropy, environment and NGOs) predominantly discussed in theory and practice of contemporary business, we should also consider employee-centred CSR in searching for CSR identity in international business. By employing motivational factors drawing upon McClelland's [ 1961 ] idea of three motives of individuals - the needs for achievement, affiliation and power - this paper highlights CSR's impact on employee motivation. An in-depth qualitative research method approach with the extensive data of the UK and Korea is used to unfold the differences of this phenomenon between different institutional settings. The results suggest that although businesses seldom initiate CSR mainly with the aim of facilitating staff motivation, when businesses evaluate the results, the issue of individual motivation emerges as one of the main benefits for engaging in CSR. More importantly, our empirical analysis reveals the importance of complex cultural, institutional and political factors which influences the link between CSR and motivation across nations. (original abstract)