Corporate social responsibility and organizational attractiveness: a moderating role of personal value

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences organizational attractiveness (OA) among prospective employees and whether personal values (PVs) moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Using a 2 × 2 experimental design, data were collected from 594 MBA students in India’s North Eastern Region. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings Perceived CSR significantly enhances OA among prospective employees. While PVs were expected to moderate this relationship, they did not exhibit significant moderating effect – suggesting that CSR perceptions positively influence OA, regardless of individual value orientation. Practical implications The findings of this study highlight the strategic role of CSR in attracting talent and emphasize the importance of effectively communicating CSR initiatives during recruitment to enhance organizational appeal. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the CSR–OA link in India’s North Eastern Region. By examining PVs within a cross-cultural context, this study adds new insights to CSR literature in under-researched developing economies.