How employee resilience affects corporate social responsibility and employee performance - explanation based on social exchange theory

This study aims to examine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee well-being and performance and to investigate the moderating role of employee resilience in these relationships. Grounded in social exchange theory, the study argues that while CSR initiatives are intended to support sustainable development, they may also increase employees' perceived role demands, making individual psychological resources particularly salient. The research is conducted in the context of four- and five-star hotels in Vietnam. In the labor-intensive service industry, employee well-being and performance are crucial to an organization's sustainability. Data were collected from 259 hotel employees and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The results indicate that CSR has a significant and positive impact on employee well-being, which in turn enhances employee performance. Additionally, employee resilience is found to moderate the relationship between CSR and well-being, suggesting that employees with higher resilience are more effective at translating CSR perceptions into positive psychological outcomes. This study contributes to the CSR and organizational behavior literature by extending social exchange theory through the integration of employee resilience as a boundary condition. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations should complement CSR initiatives with practices that enhance employee resilience to maximize their positive impact on well-being and performance.