Purpose This study investigates the role of employee positive deviance (PD) defined as voluntary behaviors that deviate from the standard norms but intends to achieve favorable outcomes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes. The study addresses a gap in literature by modeling bottom-up, employee driven initiatives to CSR. Design/methodology/approach The study uses Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to identify and hierarchically structure twelve key variables. The variables were then applied through Matrice d‘Impacts Croisés-Multiplication Appliquée á un Classment or Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis and classified into four quadrants (driving, linkage, dependence and autonomous). Findings ISM produced a five-level hierarchy with organizational culture and leadership support as foundations (level 5), six PD behaviors as intermediate levels (level 2–4) and three CSR outcomes (corporate transparency, community engagement and sustainable resource management) as top level outcomes. Establishing that employee PD behaviors collectively influence CSR outcomes. Further, the mapping in MICMAC shows how foundational enables propagate through PD behaviors to achieve organizational CSR aspirations. Practical implications Our study offers valuable insights for the top management, policymakers, and HR practitioners. The study encourages organizations to foster a conducive environment to reinforce employee PD behaviors through leadership training, flexible role structures, and technology-enabled platforms for idea sharing. Originality/value This study integrates PD and CSR literature to model their micro-to-macro linkage through ISM-MICMAC. The findings also offer practical and actionable recommendations for organizations seeking better employee engagement toward CSR initiatives.
Chattopadhyay et al. (2026) studied this question.