Sustainability in Organizations: Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility and Spanish Employees’ Attitudes and Behaviors

Deploying Sustainability Through Employee Participation. An Action Research Proposal

Society is increasingly aware of and sensitive to the deployment of sustainability. Therefore, firms must implement policies that not only have a positive effect on their sustainable behavior but also contribute to improving their competitivity. In this dual context of sustainability and competitiveness, there has been little in-depth analysis in the academic literature of the positive impact of structured employee participation systems. The main aim of this paper is to propose and apply a methodology for the joint development of sustainability and competitiveness by means of such systems. The methodology will draw on the basic principles of continuous improvement based on a literature review but also by adopting an Action Research approach, in which the researchers and companies collaborate to create useful knowledge for both parties. Likewise, this paper also illustrates its implementation at a Spanish food product manufacturer. The paper shows the potential in both the research and business spheres, as it provides a useful guide for improving sustainability and competitiveness through the deployment of structured employee participation systems. Likewise, the paper also illustrates the usefulness of researchers and practitioners collaborating shoulder to shoulder to generate and transfer knowledge.

Examining the Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Turnover Intention: Evidence from Nigeria

The subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has drawn the attention of many scholars and practitioners in the administrative sciences field. However, few studies have been carried out on Nigerian employees’ perspectives on CSR and on how CSR affects their attitudes and behaviors at work. The present study sought to contribute to narrowing this gap by examining how CSR perceptions, work engagement, and turnover intention are related in a sample of Nigerian workers. More specifically, this study had triple aims: first, describe employees’ perceptions of their employers’ involvement in different CSR domains; second, examine how CSR perceptions were related to employees’ levels of work engagement and turnover intention; third, analyze work engagement intervention as a mediator in the relationship between CSR perceptions and turnover intention. The sample included 118 employees from different organizations who voluntarily participated in an online survey. The findings revealed that respondents consider that their employer organizations have relatively high involvement in CSR activities, especially activities towards customers, employees, and stockholders. Findings also revealed that employees’ perceptions of CSR are related to diminishing levels of turnover intention, via increased work engagement. Therefore, organizations can invest in CSR activities to foster positive employee outcomes in Nigeria.

Analysis of the Dialogue with Stakeholders by the IBEX 35 Companies

Stakeholder dialogue is considered a key component of companies’ corporate social responsibility strategy with the aim to discover stakeholders’ demands, expectations, and their view of the firms. Based on the stakeholder theory, this paper aims to deepen the knowledge about stakeholder dialogue by analyzing how firms conduct the dialogue with five key stakeholder groups (i.e., employees, customers, suppliers, investors and shareholders, and the community). Using a sample of 35 leading Spanish companies and, after the collection and processing of the information available in their corporate websites and reports, we have determined the channels that are used, the pursued objectives, and the main commitments achieved. The results indicate that firms are engaged in several forms of dialogue with stakeholders and use various channels which differ depending on the targeted stakeholder group. We gain insight into the initiatives with which companies engage with stakeholders, the underlying interactions, and how each stakeholder group views and assesses the firm. Practical implications for policy makers and managers, as well as future lines of research are proposed.

Social Innovation, Employee Value Cocreation, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in a Sport-Related Social Enterprise: Mediating Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility

This stakeholder theory-based study explored the mediating role of employee attitudes regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) among perceptions of social innovation (SI), value cocreation (VCC), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in a sport social enterprise context. Eighty-three employees in a Taiwanese social enterprise were recruited using random sampling. A self-administered online survey was conducted for the collection of data, which were examined using linear regression analysis. The results indicated that employee attitudes regarding CSR fully mediated the relationship among perceived SI and OCB. Additionally, the attitude toward CSR was found to partially mediate the relationship between perceptions of SI and VCC. Employees’ attitudes toward CSR play a critical role in increasing their VCC and OCB in addition to their perception of an organization’s SI. Meaningful theoretical and practical implications were revealed.

Identification of Workplace Social Sustainability Indicators Related to Employee Ergonomics Perception in Indonesian Industry

Sustainability indicators have provided a breakthrough for companies to assess their performance in supporting corporate sustainability. There is no standard framework for these support-defining indicators to conduct a social sustainability performance assessment. There is a limitation of quantitative social sustainability indicators appropriate for performing ergonomic concept assessments. Ergonomics, as a field concerning people and their interactions with the environment, in particular, the workplace, can play a role in social sustainability, besides its conventional approach of workplace re-engineering. Three major areas of ergonomics were analyzed. The indicators were established based on a review of the literature and confirmed using a factor analysis that covered all major aspects of workplace ergonomics. The factor analysis aimed to reduce the complexity of workplace social sustainability indicators related to ergonomics. The final result integrated 73 indicators into 17 indicators based on three major areas of ergonomics. The findings showed that the best workplace social sustainability indicators were divided into five factors: employee well-being, safety concerns, workplace comfort, musculoskeletal health, and environmental concerns. It would be very beneficial for the industry and the government to support corporate social sustainability and the global sustainability index.

Corporate social responsibility and internal stakeholders' health and well-being in Europe: a systematic descriptive review

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can contribute to the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental performance in organizations. However, the relationship between CSR, employee health and well-being has not been frequently assessed despite an increased awareness that this relationship can contribute to sustainable workplaces. To identify studies addressing the relationship between CSR and employee health and well-being within the EuCIropean context, we conducted a systematic literature search using Web of Science and Medline. Of the 60 articles screened for inclusion, 16 were retained. The results suggest that the majority (n = 14) of the identified studies aimed to understand the impact of CSR strategies on employees' job satisfaction. None of the studies investigated the relationship between internal CSR and physical health. There was no clarity in the measurement of either internal CSR or the extent to which it affected employee outcomes. There is a need for consensus on measurement of internal CSR and of the health and well-being-related outcomes. Public health and occupational health researchers should be part of the discussion on the potential role of CSR in physical and psychological health outcomes beyond job satisfaction.

Consistency or Hypocrisy? The Impact of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Adopting social identity theory, this study examined the process linking the relations between internal corporate social responsibility (InCSR), work engagement, and turnover intention by focusing on the mediating influence of organizational identification and the moderating role of perceived corporate hypocrisy. Data were obtained from 311 medical staff (excluding supervisors and managers) of a public regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. The results revealed that employees are more dedicated to work and less inclined to leave the firm if they perceive that InCSR is implemented within the firm. However, if an employee perceives corporate hypocrisy of inconsistency between communication and actual actions, it may have the opposite effect on employees. Likewise, the higher the level of perceived corporate hypocrisy, the lesser the positive effect of InCSR on employee behavior. Finally, the implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Internal Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainability

The recent attention paid to internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR) observed in the academic literature has been paralleled by an increased focus thereof in management, to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A bibliometric examination of the literature on ICSR and a complementary content analysis with ATLAS.ti revealed that the topic was largely neglected until 2014 but has now reached a consolidation stage. The main contribution of this paper was to conceptualize ICSR within the current theoretical paradigm of sustainability. The obtained results demonstrate that sustainable management requires attention to internal practices such as employee well-being and engagement. We anticipate that very soon, organizations will be directly involved in the SDG agenda through ICSR.

Predisposition to Change Is Linked to Job Satisfaction: Assessing the Mediation Roles of Workplace Relation Civility and Insight

The globalization processes typical of liquid modern society require organizations to have high levels of flexibility, dynamism, and rapidity of change, testing the adaptability of workers with possible repercussions on well-being and productivity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of several psychological factors in favoring job satisfaction in a group of organizational workers (mean age = 46.24; SD = 9.99; 40.9% males and 59.1% females). Firstly, the impact of predisposition to change on job satisfaction through workplace relational civility (others with me) or insight orientation as independent mediating variables was analyzed. After that, this relationship was also studied by testing the effect that the simultaneous interaction of both mediators could have. Results show that workplace relational civility (others with me) significantly mediated the relationship between predisposition to change and job satisfaction, while no significance was found in the effect of insight when considered individually. However, the latter acquires greater relevance if placed in interaction with the other mediator, that is found to be the most proximal factor linking job satisfaction to the other more distal variables. Such findings might have a relevant role in strengthening preventive intervening, favoring positive results for greater well-being of both subjects and organizations.

Study of Corporate Sustainability Dimensions in the Cooperatives of Ecuador

This research has the aim of analysing corporate sustainability dimensions in the cooperativism of a developing country such as Ecuador by means of a valid and reliable measuring scale. These institutions, as part of the social economy, should be focused on a balance among the economic, social and environmental aspects, which are the central axis of corporate sustainability. The literature review and analysis led to the development of a research questionnaire that was applied to 2042 people, among them managers, employees and members of the Ecuadorian cooperatives. In order to validate the dimensional structure and consistency of the scale, an exploratory factorial analysis was performed, followed by a confirmatory analysis using structural equations. The results show a consistent measuring scale based on the traditional dimensions of corporate sustainability (economic, social and environmental) and also presenting a new dimension of corporate identity.

Intrapreneurial Self-Capital Mediates the Connectedness to Nature Effect on Well-Being at Work

Researchers are being called upon to find and explore viable solutions to protect the environment and promote health in the new digital era of the 21st century, since the rapid changes transpiring within our technological societies may be detrimental to workers but also offer opportunities for growth. The concept of connectedness to nature, on the one hand, is a proxy for important environmentally protective and responsible behaviors; on the other, it has been studied in relation to people’s well-being. To promote health, it is crucial to act from a primary prevention perspective, which is focused on finding variables that can be increased through specific training. In this framework, intrapreneurial self-capital (ISC) appears to be related both to people’s connectedness to nature and their well-being. This study analyzes exploratively the relationship between connectedness to nature, ISC, and well-being at work, since these variables have never been studied together. A mediation model is tested to assess whether ISC could mediate the relationship between connectedness to nature and workers’ well-being. The mediation analysis highlights that ISC, as a core of preventive resources, potentially sustains the effect of feeling connected to nature on well-being at work. Thus, interventions aimed at increasing and acquiring preventive resources, such as ISC, could be beneficial in protecting the environment and in promoting health among workers.

Social Sustainability Practices on Small Businesses in Developing Economies: A Case of South Africa

This study makes a significant contribution towards theory and knowledge of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the social sustainability discourse. The study focused on investigating if SMEs in developing economies directly benefit from practising social sustainability through examining the relationship between social sustainability and financial performance, customer satisfaction as well as employee satisfaction. A total of 238 SMEs from the Limpopo province of South Africa were surveyed through a self-administered questionnaire at the hand of convenience sampling technique. The hypotheses in the study were assessed through structural equation modelling (SEM) through AMOS software version 25. The study results revealed that all three postulated hypotheses were supported. Thus, social sustainability was found to be positively and significantly associated with financial performance, customer satisfaction performance as well as employee satisfaction performance. The findings in this study indicate that by practising social sustainability, SMEs potentially benefit on a broader performance spectrum.

"Why Can't I Become a Manager?"-A Systematic Review of Gender Stereotypes and Organizational Discrimination

Women continue to lag behind for accessing managerial positions, partially due to discrimination at work. One of the main roots of such discrimination is gender stereotyping, so we aim to comprehend those biased procedures. First, we have analyzed those highlighted gender lawsuit cases in the scientific literature that have dealt with stereotypes both in the American and the European work contexts. Second, meta-analytic studies regarding organizational consequences of gender stereotypes have been synthetized. Third, gender stereotypes have been grouped by means of a content analysis of the existing literature after processing 61 articles systematically retrieved from WOS, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO databases. As a result, a taxonomy of gender stereotypes has been achieved evidencing that descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes have an impact on decision-making procedures through the apparently perception of women as less suitable for managerial positions. Moreover, we offer a deep explanation of the gender discrimination phenomenon under the umbrella of psychosocial theories, and some measures for successfully overcoming management stereotyping, showing that organizational culture can be improved from both the perspective of equal employment opportunities and the organizational justice frameworks for reaching a balanced and healthier workplace.

Perceived Job Insecurity and Sustainable Wellbeing: Do Coping Strategies Help?

For workers, perceived job insecurity represents a threat and an obstacle towards achieving a decent and sustainable dimension of wellbeing at work and in life. Using the theoretical background of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, the aim of this study is to deepen the relation between subjective job insecurity, self-related health and life satisfaction considering the effect of personal resources, such as specific coping strategies that people may undertake facing job insecurity perceptions. The hypotheses were tested in a convenience sample of 769 employees in France. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Science (IBM SPSS). Results showed that job insecurity was negatively related to self-reported health and life satisfaction; furthermore, problem-focused coping of the type of job, social support and training searching behaviors resulted in worsening this negative relationship. This study expanded the understanding of coping in the context of job insecurity and showed the limitations that proactive coping strategies have against job insecurity. These results encourage the debate on how far is it possible to attain sustainable wellbeing by relying on personal resources when job insecurity is experienced.

Managerial Humanistic Attention and CSR: Do Firm Characteristics Matter?

This study attempted to investigate the influence of managerial humanistic attention on corporate social responsibility. Drawing upon humanistic value, upper echelons theory and behavior decision theory, we developed and tested hypotheses using secondary from manufacturing firms listed at Shanghai Stock Exchange from year 2010 to year 2014. This study showed that managerial humanistic attention can positively affect corporate social responsibility and corporate social responsibility was found to be influenced by firm characteristics. Specifically, the relationship between managerial humanistic attention and corporate social responsibility was stronger: when a firm was older; was bigger; and had more slack resources.