Purpose Prior studies often treat corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an aggregated construct when examining employer attractiveness and job pursuit intention, which limits understanding of how different CSR dimensions function as organisational signals to potential applicants. The current study analysed the influence of distinct dimensions of CSR, including economic responsibility (EcR), environmental responsibility (EnR), social responsibility (SR), corporate governance (CG), perceived employer reputation (PER), perceived employer attractiveness (PEA), and their effects on the job pursuit intention (JPI) of millennial jobseekers within public listed companies (PLCs) in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A total of 390 Millennials from 10 Malaysian universities were surveyed using Google Forms. A six-point Likert scale was employed to assess constructs, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine relationships among variables. Findings The results revealed a positive influence of CSR factors (economic responsibility, environmental responsibility, social responsibility, and corporate governance) on Millennials' job pursuit intentions towards PLCs in Malaysia. The mediator PER significantly mediates the relationship between SR and JPI, while PEA mediates the relationship between all CSR factors and JPI. These findings indicate that CSR dimensions function as differentiated employer signals that influence jobseekers' behavioural intentions through reputation- and attractiveness-based evaluations. Practical implications Integrating CSR practices within PLCs in Malaysia can serve as a competitive advantage, particularly in strengthening employer reputation and attractiveness, which enhances Human Resource Management (HRM) efforts to attract prospective jobseekers. Moreover, the present study introduces an enhanced model that incorporates a multidimensional CSR perspective, integrating mediators such as PER and PEA. Originality/value The presented framework integrates four key CSR dimensions (economic responsibility, environmental responsibility, social responsibility, and corporate governance), perceived employer reputation, and perceived employer attractiveness, thereby extending signalling-based recruitment research by conceptualising CSR as a set of differentiated employer signals rather than a single aggregated construct. The study also provides an extensive overview of CSR, PER, PEA, and their effects on the JPI of millennials towards PLCs in Malaysia.
Sathiaseelan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.