The impact of CSR best practices on job performance: the mediating roles of affective commitment and work engagement

Purpose One of the main challenges of human resource management (HRM) functions is how to leverage an organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices for the improvement of employees' job performance. The rationale is that employees identify with and learn from CSR best practices and try to replicate them in their own capacities on the job, thus elevating levels of performance. This study aims at investigating the impact of organizational CSR practices on employee job performance, in the presence of important job attitudes, namely, affective commitment and work engagement. Design/methodology/approach The study employed structural equation modeling to analyze data that were collected through a survey of previously validated scales. The survey was distributed using the convenience sampling technique among respondents in the Lebanese banking sector, and 302 useable surveys were collected. Findings The structural model confirmed the significant influence of CSR best practices on job performance, in the presence of significant mediation effects of affective commitment and work engagement. Practical implications The effects of organizational CSR could be underscored through a variety of HR initiatives that aim at promoting employees' identification with the organization and its CSR goals, thereby enhancing affective organizational commitment and work engagement. Levels of affective commitment and work engagement could be periodically assessed and enhanced through HR-led programs to facilitate and augment their mediatory effects on job performance. Originality/value This study fills a gap in the literature by shedding light on the impact of CSR practices on employees' affective commitment and work engagement within the framework of the social cognitive theory. It highlights the importance of employees' identification with their organization's CSR values and practices, leading to improved job performance, a dynamic that has not been studied in previous research. This study also serves as a point of reference to future studies that will be conducted after the Lebanese banking sector undergoes restructuring, following accusations of corruption and mismanagement.