Inside and Outside, One Reputation: Linking Dual‐Faced <scp>CSR</scp> to Employee Pride Through Corporate Brand Reputation

ABSTRACT Employee pride is often treated as a by‐product of CSR, yet micro‐CSR research has not fully explained how employees internalize internal CSR (ICSR) and external CSR (ECSR) into pride, or why the two CSR faces may operate through different psychological routes. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (reciprocity) and Social Identity Theory (esteem‐based identification), we propose a partial‐mediation model in which ICSR and ECSR influence employee pride directly and indirectly through employees' perceived corporate brand reputation (CBR). Using three‐wave, time‐lagged survey data from full‐time employees in eight Malaysian commercial banks ( N = 368), we tested the model via PLS‐SEM. Results indicate that ICSR has a stronger direct association with pride ( β = 0.306) than ECSR ( β = 0.261), whereas ECSR more strongly predicts CBR ( β = 0.504) than ICSR ( β = 0.423). CBR is positively associated with pride ( β = 0.126) and partially mediates both effects (PM = 14.8% for ICSR; 19.7% for ECSR; all hypothesized paths were supported). Theoretically, the findings clarify why comparing ICSR versus ECSR matters: ICSR primarily activates pride via reciprocal care, while ECSR relies more on reputational validation that affirms employees' social identity. Practically, organizations can strengthen pride and retention intentions by coordinating employee‐focused CSR with credible external CSR, and by translating both into visible, consistent reputational signals.