Understanding employee-CSR relationship by exploring microfoundations of corporate social responsilibility

This doctoral study bridges microfoundations initiatives and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps in understanding individual-level differences by assessing the individual attitudes and emotions that influence organizational CSR programs. It shifts the focus from industrial psychology’s generic factors (e.g., fatigue and boredom) to a more intricate view of individual employees’ microfoundations. This study employs a comprehensive methodology including a literature review and two empirical case studies. The literature review explores historical employee–CSR interactions, mapping existing perspectives and their limitations. The first case study scrutinizes national CSR regulations in India from a communicative viewpoint, highlighting how macrolevel CSR regulations affect individual attitudes. The second case study delves into the cognitive aspects of individual employees, focusing on emotional reactions in stressful CSR-related scenarios. In doing so, this study addresses the central research question: How can organizations comprehend and accommodate diversity among employees to effectively implement CSR initiatives? Through a series of subquestions, this study investigates the relationship between employee attitudes and CSR in the existing literature, explores the microlevel perspectives vis-à-vis macrolevel regulations, and evaluates how employees navigate emotionally charged situations stemming from organizational CSR reputation. This thesis proposes a meta-framework that combines individual and organizational perspectives on CSR, deepening our understanding of micro-CSR initiatives. This implies that managing individual differences can help organizations achieve comprehensive CSR goals. In summary, this study significantly contributes to both academic discourse and practical applications of CSR. By emphasizing individual differences, it not only enriches the scholarly landscape of micro-CSR but also provides organizations with actionable insights for enhancing CSR practices, thereby facilitating a more socially responsible and sustainable future.