Exploring employees' affective reactions toward socially responsible HRM: insights from cognitive appraisal perspective

Purpose Drawing on the cognitive appraisal perspective, this study aims to examine the negative effects of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) practices on employees' affective responses and subsequent withdrawal behaviors, with a particular focus on the socio-cognitive mechanisms underlying these effects. Design/methodology/approach This study tested the proposed hypotheses using multi-wave survey data from 286 employees across six prominent hotels in China and employed the COMPLEX analysis procedure to account for the nested data structure. Findings The findings revealed that engaging in SRHRM practices can come at the cost of employees experiencing tensions and ego depletion, both of which played mediating roles in the relation between SRHRM and employees' withdrawal behavior. Notably, employees with a zero-sum mindset are more likely to moderate the indirect effects of SRHRM on work withdrawal behavior through experiencing tensions and ego depletion. For employees with a high zero-sum mindset, the indirect effects were more significant. Originality/value First, this study examines the potential negative social impacts of SRHRM on employees. Second, this study explores how individuals respond to paradoxes through the lens of the cognitive appraisal process, offering a novel affective perspective on the relationship between SRHRM and employee behavior. Third, this study highlights critical boundary conditions that shape the affective impact of SRHRM on employee outcomes.