CSR: a guardian or a pseudo angel? Evidence from pharmaceuticals

Glaveli, Niki, Argyropoulou, Maria, Papadimitriou, Dimitra and Akhavan Tabassi, Amin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2347-7894 (2025) CSR: a guardian or a pseudo angel? Evidence from pharmaceuticals. Social Responsibility Journal. ISSN 1747-1117

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Abstract

Purpose Drawing on social exchange and social identity theories, this study aims to add to the existing corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature by shedding light on the process by which employees form positive attitudes and behavioral responses based on their evaluation of the company’s CSR activities toward internal and external stakeholders, and how this process is moderated by the importance that employees attach to these actions. Design/methodology/approach Data were garnered from 281 pharmaceutical sector employees in Greece with the aid of self-reported questionnaires. The formulated hypotheses were tested using a variance-based statistical approach. Findings The research results underscore the importance of genuine CSR initiatives toward internal and external stakeholders in fostering employee trust in the organization and consequently positive employee outcomes like organizational citizenship behavior, organizational commitment and retention. Originality/value This study contributes to the CSR fragmented literature by highlighting the reflective sense-making process employees engage in when evaluating CSR initiatives toward (internal and external) stakeholders, integrating social exchange and social identity theories and providing insights into the pharmaceutical sector, thus offering significant theoretical and practical implications for high-risk industries.