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Employee Attributions of Corporate Social Responsibility as Substantive or Symbolic: Validation of a Measure
Author(s) -
Donia Magda B.L.,
Tetrault Sirsly CarolAnn,
Ronen Sigalit
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
applied psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1464-0597
pISSN - 0269-994X
DOI - 10.1111/apps.12081
Subject(s) - corporate social responsibility , attribution , nomological network , measure (data warehouse) , psychology , scale (ratio) , social psychology , public relations , political science , computer science , data mining , physics , quantum mechanics
Using three samples aggregating over 1,000 working adults, we developed and tested a measure of Substantive and Symbolic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR‐SS). The resultant 14‐item CSR‐SS scale is a reliable and parsimonious measure that is best represented by two broad and distinctive factors—substantive and symbolic attributions of CSR. Our findings provide evidence of a solid nomological network and criterion validity, supporting predictions that when employees attribute CSR as substantive, greater benefits accrue to the individual and the organisation as a whole than when CSR is attributed as symbolic. This measure contributes a valid and reliable tool toward the advancement of micro CSR research on both negative and positive consequences of organisations’ CSR proclaimed initiatives.