Serving for social benefits: socially responsible human resource management drives civil servants’ public service motivation and volunteering

Purpose Although prior research suggests that civil servants’ participation in volunteering enhances governmental effectiveness and, ultimately, national prosperity and social well-being, the organizational mechanisms that cultivate such behavior remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on signaling theory, this study positions socially responsible human resource management (SR-HRM) as a critical organizational signal that can simultaneously heighten civil servants’ public service motivation (PSM) and their engagement in volunteering. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested with a three-wave, time-lagged survey of 412 Chinese civil servants. Findings The results confirm that SR-HRM positively predicts PSM, which mediates the relationship between SR-HRM and volunteering. Moreover, the mediated effect is significantly stronger when employees make altruistic attributions regarding SR-HRM practices. Originality/value These findings highlight SR-HRM as a viable lever for promoting volunteering among civil servants and underscore its relevance for contemporary public personnel management.