Corporate social responsibility and employee motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in Vietnamese SMEs

Purpose This study aims to conceptualize corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a potentially need-supportive organizational context. This study examines how CSR-related autonomy, competence and relatedness are associated with employees’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how these two forms of motivation are subsequently associated with perceived work performance and job engagement among employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study analyzed survey data collected from 379 employees working in SMEs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings CSR-specific competence and relatedness were positively linked to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Autonomy, by contrast, was positively associated with intrinsic motivation but showed no significant association with extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation was positively associated with perceived work performance, while both extrinsic motivation and perceived work performance were positively associated with job engagement. Originality/value This study advances employee-centered CSR research in an underexplored emerging-market SME context. This study offers guidance on CSR design choices that prioritize competence development and social connectedness to strengthen employee outcomes.