Toward Employee Engagement and Development Through Internal Corporate Social Responsibility

ABSTRACT This study investigates antecedents and moderators of stakeholder engagement focusing on employees as primary stakeholders. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling with a stratified sample of 369 Brazilian employees, we tested trust and commitment as direct antecedents, and transparency and communication as moderators. Results revealed significant associations between organizational trust ( β = 0.414, p < 0.001) and commitment ( β = 0.448, p < 0.001) with engagement, jointly explaining 69.5% of variance. However, transparency and communication showed no significant moderating effects in this model, suggesting alternative specifications merit investigation in future research. This research contributes by integrating social exchange and social identity theories into a unified model specifying distinct causal mechanisms for engagement antecedents. We propose the Integrated Framework for Internal Stakeholder Engagement (IFISE) with operational guidelines and metrics for practical implementation. The study advances stakeholder theory while providing evidence‐based strategies for developing healthier organizational relationships and superior performance through enhanced employee engagement.