EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN COMPANY’S CSR STRATEGY

This chapter analyses the adoption by large food retailers of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs targeted at employees and their families. The authors propose an exploratory research. A qualitative approach has been used to examine the emerging redefinition of the organizational approach to improve effectiveness of retail CSR initiatives. The multiple case study analysis is a useful research tool that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. This methodology highlights nine different cases which explain some organizational tools to implement CSR in retail companies that operate in EU. Findings reveal the need for a redefinition of organizational structures and processes for implementing a successful CSR strategy in the retail sector. The selected cases show the importance of closer coordination among the organizational dimensions to implement CSR in retail sector. Some cases show a delay in the implementation of organizational tools and employee engagement.

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Does corporate social responsibility impact on employee engagement?

Journal of Workplace Learning ◽

10.1108/jwl-09-2013-0070 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (3/4) ◽

pp. 232-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Pedro Ferreira ◽

Elizabeth Real de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Employee Engagement ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Content Type ◽

General Internal ◽

Csr Strategy ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose – Despite the claim that internal corporate social responsibility plays an important role, the understanding of this phenomenon has been neglected. This paper intends to contribute to fill this gap by looking into the relation between CSR and employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach – A survey research was conducted and three different groups of respondents were faced with three different CSR scenarios (general, internal, external) and respondents' employee engagement was measured. Findings – The results show that there are no statistically significant differences in levels of engagement between employees exposed to external and internal CSR practices. Nevertheless, employees exposed to internal CSR are more engaged than those exposed only to external CSR practices. Research limitations/implications – The use of scenarios, although a grounded approach, involves risks, including the difficulty of participants to put themselves in a fictional situation. Also, the scale used to measure employee engagement puts the emphasis on work rather than on the organisation. Practical implications – Although this study is not conclusive it raises the need for companies to look at their CSR strategy in a holistic approach, i.e. internal and external. Originality/value – This paper represents a contribution to understand CSR strategic status and the need to enlighten the impact that social responsible practices can have on employees' engagement.

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