The impact of corporate ESG activities perceived by employees on organizational citizenship behavior: mediating effect of organizational identification

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities, as perceived by employees, on organizational citizenship behavior(OCB), with a focus on the mediating role of organizational identification (OI). Research design, data, and methodology: From online questionnaires answered by consumers with convention industry employees, 271 valid samples are used for analysis. For empirical analysis, simple and multiple hierarchical regression analyses are conducted. Results: T he r esults i ndicate t hat p erceived c orporate E SG a ctivities p ositively i nfluence both OI and OCB. Furthermore, OI partially mediates the relationship between ESG activities and OCB, highlighting its critical role in bridging employees' perceptions of ESG efforts and their discretionary contributions to the organization. Specifically, ESG activities were found to promote altruistic behavior, conscientiousness, and relationship-oriented actions among employees. Conclusions: This research contributes to the existing literature by shifting the focus from external stakeholders to internal organizational members, providing empirical evidence of the internal benefits of ESG initiatives. Practically, it underscores the importance of designing ESG strategies that engage employees and foster a sense of identification with the organization. By integrating ESG values into organizational culture, companies can enhance employee engagement and drive sustainable growth.