Employees' Perceived CSR and Extra-Role Behaviors Toward External Stakeholders: Roles of Organizational Reputation Maintenance Concerns and Collectivistic Orientation

This study integrates social identity theory and the impression management perspective to clarify the underlying mechanism explaining the relationship between employees’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their extra-role behaviors toward external stakeholders. Specifically, it examines the mediating role of organizational reputation maintenance concerns within this relationship, as well as how collectivistic orientation―an individual’s tendency to value group goals and relationships with the group as a source of self-identity―moderates the effect of CSR perceptions on extra-role CSR behavior and loyal boosterism. To test these relationships, we conducted two time-lagged surveys of employees in Korea, and the analysis was based on responses from 210 participants. The results revealed that employees' CSR perceptions were positively related to extra-role CSR behavior and loyal boosterism and that this relationship was mediated by organizational reputation maintenance concerns. However, contrary to expectations, the indirect effect of CSR perceptions on extra-role CSR behavior and loyal boosterism through organizational reputation maintenance concerns was significant only among employees with low collectivistic orientation. This study is meaningful in that it highlights employees' concerns for maintaining organizational reputation can stimulate impression management motives toward external stakeholders, ultimately leading to extra-role behaviors such as extra-role CSR behaviors and loyal boosterism. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, along with directions for future research.