Corporate Social Responsibility Engagement Levels and Employee Performance

Organizations have always practiced social responsibility in many forms, but in recent years the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a forefront subject, frequently addressed at the strategic levels. Employee performance has always been a subject of interest and concern for organizations because employees are an organization’s most important asset. CSR has an impact on both internal employees and the external community. Studies have shown CSR has an impact on employee performance, but a lack of proper CSR implementation has a negative effect on them. In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the leadership behaviors that affect CSR implementation and employee performance in information technology firms in the Washington, DC metro area. Twenty-one participants of both the executive and regular employment levels were interviewed to obtain their unique perspectives. This study’s findings provide the leadership behaviors and attributes that affect CSR implementation observed through the four emergent themes of leader behavior, leader involvement, CSR program development, and CSR practices. These themes developed out of the data provided by participants and were carefully analyzed. The right leadership behaviors can improve how leaders are engaged in CSR initiatives and implementation, increasing successful CSR programs, and improving employee performance