The perception of corporate social responsibility and employee engagement: Examining the underlying mechanism

Abstract Despite the claims that corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays a vital role in employee behavior, the empirical support of these claims is limited especially in the Pakistani context. Thus, this paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between employees' perception of CSR and employee engagement (EE) in Pakistan. In addition, the present research also looks at the role of gender differences in terms of CSR perception and EE. The data were collected from employees working in different industries of Pakistan, such as manufacturing, banking, electronics, and oil and gas. Structural equation modeling technique was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results revealed a significant positive impact of CSR perception on EE. Furthermore, the moderation effect of gender on the CSR‐EE relationship was investigated. The empirical evidence showed a stronger relationship between CSR and women than men. The current study attests the importance of CSR in nurturing employees' positive work behavior. This research suggests the incorporation of CSR in a business to the maximum possible capacity.