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Too Much of a Good Thing? On the Relationship Between CSR and Employee Work Addiction

Author

Listed:
  • Steven A. Brieger

    (University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex
    University of St.Gallen)

  • Stefan Anderer

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management
    HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Andreas Fröhlich

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Anne Bäro

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Timo Meynhardt

    (University of St.Gallen
    HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

Abstract

Recent research highlights the positive effects of organizational CSR engagement on employee outcomes, such as job and life satisfaction, performance, and trust. We argue that the current debate fails to recognize the potential risks associated with CSR. In this study, we focus on the risk of work addiction. We hypothesize that CSR has per se a positive effect on employees and can be classified as a resource. However, we also suggest the existence of an array of unintended negative effects of CSR. Since CSR positively influences an employee’s organizational identification, as well as his or her perception of engaging in meaningful work, which in turn motivates them to work harder while neglecting other spheres of their lives such as private relationships or health, CSR indirectly increases work addiction. Accordingly, organizational identification and work meaningfulness both act as buffering variables in the relationship, thus suppressing the negative effect of CSR on work addiction, which weakens the positive role of CSR in the workplace. Drawing on a sample of 565 Swiss employees taken from the 2017 Swiss Public Value Atlas dataset, our results provide support for our rationale. Our results also provide evidence that the positive indirect effects of organizational CSR engagement on work addiction, via organizational identification and work meaningfulness, become even stronger when employees care for the welfare of the wider public (i.e., the community, nation, or world). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven A. Brieger & Stefan Anderer & Andreas Fröhlich & Anne Bäro & Timo Meynhardt, 2020. "Too Much of a Good Thing? On the Relationship Between CSR and Employee Work Addiction," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 311-329, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:166:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04141-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04141-8
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    3. Evgenia I. Lysova & Jennifer Tosti-Kharas & Christopher Michaelson & Luke Fletcher & Catherine Bailey & Peter McGhee, 2023. "Ethics and the Future of Meaningful Work: Introduction to the Special Issue," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(4), pages 713-723, July.
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    5. Malik, Ihtisham A. & Chowdhury, Hasibul & Alam, Md Samsul, 2023. "Equity market response to natural disasters: Does firm's corporate social responsibility make difference?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    6. Basheer M. Al-Ghazali & M. Sadiq Sohail & Ibrahim Ali M. Jumaan, 2021. "CSR Perceptions and Career Satisfaction: The Role of Psychological Capital and Moral Identity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-22, June.
    7. Morkevičiūtė Modesta & Endriulaitienė Auksė, 2021. "A Systematic Review of the Factors Determining Workaholism: The Role of an Organisation," Management of Organizations: Systematic Research, Sciendo, vol. 85(1), pages 33-46, June.
    8. Mingchuan Yu & Han Lin & Greg G. Wang & Yuan Liu & Xiaotao Zheng, 2022. "Is too much as bad as too little? The S-curve relationship between corporate philanthropy and employee performance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 1511-1534, December.
    9. Gentjan Çera & Khurram Ajaz Khan & Andrea Bláhová & Jaroslav Belas, Jr., 2022. "Do owner-manager demographics in SMEs matter for corporate social responsibility?," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(2), pages 511-531, June.
    10. María Garrido‐Ruso & Beatriz Aibar‐Guzmán, 2022. "The moderating effect of contextual factors and employees' demographic features on the relationship between CSR and work‐related attitudes: A meta‐analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1839-1854, September.
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