Linking employees' work orientation and corporate social responsibility practices: Multilevel and multistakeholder cross‐sectional study

Abstract In its part to contribute to the query of “why some firms act responsibly while others do not?”, the work has devised a “moderated micro‐macro model,” wherein employees' work orientation took the micro (individual‐level) independent variable role, stakeholder‐based corporate social responsibility practice conceived as the macro (organizational‐level) dependent variable, and organizational culture singled out as macro‐level (organizational‐level) moderating variable for the link. A sample of 53 large manufacturing firms in the Amhara region of Ethiopia constituted the organizational‐level units. A random sample of 473 employees evaluated the recent performance of the firms and themselves. Croon and van Veldhoven's multilevel analytical package suited the designed model. The study has revealed that (1) concerning CSR practice, even though CSR performance varies across stakeholder groups, overall, healthy (responsible) business behavior has been in general evident, (2) work orientation is indeed a potential driver of corporate social responsibility practice, (3) organizational culture and one of its dimensions, adhocracy culture, played a buffering moderation role in job orientation‐corporate social responsibility practice link, and (4) while firm effect has been paramount in explaining CSR practices, the individual effect has attributed a non‐negligible part to CSR practices. Notwithstanding its limitations, the study has provided valuable insights into CSR theory and practice. Similar studies with tailored designs are encouraged for future research.