Study on the Links between Organizational Models of Social Responsibility and Employee Social Identification. Case Studies of Organizations in Eastern Canada

Currently, organizations are being called upon to adapt to numerous crises, which hinder their development and even their survival. Among these crises there are significant upheavals in the job market. In this context of uncertainty, companies are trying to find tools to better retain and build employee loyalty. One of these tools would be the understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its links with employees' perception of identification with the organization. Despite the existence of some studies on CSR and human resources management (HRM), several facets of the subject remain to be explored. Based on a cross-sectional qualitative research using a comparative case study of two organizations in Eastern Canada, we wanted to study potential links between the fields of CSR and HRM. The first objective was to create an integrative model based on a literature review of the founding texts of CSR and to test it with managers and employees. Next, we aimed to study employees' perceptions of their social identification and the links they perceived between CSR and their social identification. Finally, we made comparisons between the two organizations in relation to the subjects under study. Our research results demonstrated the relevance of the CSR management model we designed. We also observed a strong general connection between employees and their organization. Although further research will be necessary to validate this result, our research demonstrates the existence of a link between participants' perception of social identification and social responsibility management models. Thus, according to employees, sharing the same values as their organization could increase the identification link. However, it was the model as a whole that was appreciated by employees and not specific social responsibility measures. In short, one of the important and novel contributions of this study is the analysis of the connection between two different fields, namely the field of strategic management and that of organizational behavior while also achieving significant results.