Building employee relationships through corporate social responsibility: the moderating role of social cynicism and reward for application

We explore the role of deeply held beliefs, known as social axioms, in the context of employee– organization relationships. Specifically, we examine how the beliefs identified as social cynicism and reward for application moderate the relationship between employees’ work-related experiences, perceptions of CSR (corporate social responsibility), attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward their firm. Utilizing a sample of 130 retail employees, we find that CSR impacts more positively on employees low on social cynicism and reduces distrust more so than with cynical employees. Employees exhibiting strong reward for application are less positively impacted by CSR, while their experiences of other work-related factors are more likely to reduce distrust. Our findings suggest the need for a differentiated view of CSR in the context of employee studies and offer suggestions for future research and management practice.