Employee attitudes and corporate social responsibility: The substantive and the symbolic of the organizational identity

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its impact on organizational outcomes is a prominent topic in management literature. It has been observed that attitudes and behaviors of employees are influenced by environmental stimuli. In this regard, the perception of authenticity in CSR practices and processes can affect both organizational identification and organizational outcomes. The objective of this study is to explore the underlying mechanisms in this relationship, investigating how CSR-oriented actions influence employee perceptions and foster greater organizational identification. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the interactions between variables in a sample of 224 full-time employees in Mexico. Findings reveal that substantive CSR is positively correlated with organizational identity and has no correlation with symbolic CSR. This study provides robust empirical evidence on the importance of authenticity in CSR practices and offers guidelines for enhancing the planning and implementation of these actions within organizations.