Toward a Psychosocial Model of Employees’ Participation in Corporate Social Responsibility. Evidence from Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Research has demonstrated that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a predictor of employees’ shared and personal organizational identity processes and work attitudes. However, there is limited understanding of how to promote employee participation in socially responsible activities in organizations. Drawing on social identity theory, this article aims to validate a psychosocial model that can encourage employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to become involved in CSR practices. We hypothesize that employees’ sense of organizational identity (OI) influences their perception of CSR through the mediating influences of organizational sense of community (SOC) and affective organizational commitment (OC). Quantitative data collected from employees (N = 354) of Italian SMEs, as well as multiple mediation analysis and bootstrap method for indirect effects, is used to evaluate the hypothesized relationship. Results show that employee perceptions of organizational SOC and affective OC mediates the relationship between OI and CSR. Further, employee employment status has been found to have a partial effect on participation in CSR practices.