Consumers as employees: the impact of social responsibility on quality of work life among Australian engineers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate whether consumer values influence work-related attitudes. Employees often feel conflict among different aspects of their lives. Although most extant research has focused on the effect of family values on work attitudes, we investigate whether a fit between employees’ socially responsible consumption orientation (SRCO) and firm corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences employee higher-order quality of work life. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data from 112 members of an engineering association in Australia. Findings – The results show that employees’ consumer life roles can influence their work-related perceptions. However, contrary to expectations, the positive influence of CSR on higher-order quality of work life is weaker for employees who are more socially responsible consumers. Research limitations/implications – Further research should examine other industry contexts and cultures. Also, because the SRCO construct is very broad, further research should examine specific social issues. Practical implications – CSR can be an important strategy for retaining employees, even those with lower SRCO. Originality/value – This research shows that customer values influence important work-related attitudes, such as higher-order quality of work life and organizational commitment. Furthermore, we show that “fit” between consumption orientation responsibility and firm CSR does not necessarily enhance work-related attitudes because employees high in SRCO likely hold the firm to a different standard of social responsibility.