Double-Edged Effects of Socially Responsible Human Resource Management on Employee Task Performance and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Mediating by Role Ambiguity and Moderating by Prosocial Motivation

Danping Shao,Lirong Long,Peiran Gao,Jie Xiong,Erhua Zhou

doi:10.3390/su11082271

Abstract

Previous literature has explored the positive effects of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on employees, leaving potential dark sides largely ignored. By integrating situational-strength theory and motivation literature, this study investigates the double-edged effects of SRHRM on employee performance. Based on a sample of 314 employee–supervisor dyads from three companies, we found that SRHRM could increase employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) while decreasing their task performance through role-ambiguity mediation. Interestingly, prosocial motivation serves as a significant moderator in strengthening the positive relationship between SRHRM and OCB and the negative association between SRHRM and task performance. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of how managers should conduct SRHRM practices among employees.

Highlights

As a cross-disciplinary concept, socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) has long captured widespread attention from both scholars and practitioners [1,2,3,4,5]
Based on a sample of 314 employee–supervisor dyads from three companies, we found that SRHRM could increase employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) while decreasing their task performance through role-ambiguity mediation
SRHRM refers to a set of human resource management practices aimed at implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) values [4,5], typically including recruiting employees who are concerned with social welfare, providing CSR training programs, and associating employee performance in CSR activities with performance appraisal, compensation, and promotion

Summary

Introduction

As a cross-disciplinary concept, socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) has long captured widespread attention from both scholars and practitioners [1,2,3,4,5]. SRHRM refers to a set of human resource management practices aimed at implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) values [4,5], typically including recruiting employees who are concerned with social welfare, providing CSR training programs, and associating employee performance in CSR activities with performance appraisal, compensation, and promotion. Such HRM practices help to engage employees in CSR activities and gradually transform employee responsibility awareness into organizational competitiveness and sustainable development. To date, few efforts were made to empirically examine the double-edged effects of SRHRM

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