Do employees want their employers to take a stand? Expectations, perceptions and consequences of corporate social advocacy (CSA)

Purpose This study explores employees' expectations regarding employer engagement in corporate social advocacy (CSA) – the practice of companies taking public stances on polarizing socio-political issues. It also investigates how employees perceive these efforts and the resulting impact on key organizational outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 1,181 employees assessed their expectations and perceptions of employer CSA engagement. The study evaluated three alignment constructs – Employee–Cause Fit (alignment between employees' values and the socio-political cause), Employer–Cause Fit (alignment between the company's values and the cause), and Employee–Employer Fit (alignment between employees' and the company's values) – and their influence on organizational identification, organizational pride, and intrinsic motivation. Findings Approximately half of employees believe employers should take stances on socio-political issues, while one-quarter to one-third prefer that employers refrain from such involvement. Overall, employees view their employers' CSA efforts positively, perceiving them as appropriately frequent, clear, and consistent. Strong alignment among employee values, employer values, and socio-political positions enhances organizational identification, pride, and intrinsic motivation. Originality/value This study addresses a gap in CSA literature by shifting focus from external stakeholder reactions to internal perceptions – specifically, employee expectations and evaluations of employer CSA engagement.