How and When employee volunteering probes unethical pro organizational behaviour?

Abstract

Extant corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature has examined the positive impact of various CSR practices on organizational and employee level outcomes. More recently, critical CSR scholars have called for research investigating the detrimental impacts of specific CSR practices on their effects and the wider societal consequences they have due to the huge criticism of business case for CSR. In the present study, we explore the negative impact of one of the most widely adopted CSR practices of employee volunteering (EV) on external stakeholders. Specifically, we demonstrate the link between EV and unethical pro organizational behaviour (UPB). Our theoretical model based on moral licensing theory highlights the processes and conditions through which EV may lead to UPB and includes 11 propositions. Further, we explain the implications of the theoretical model for management research and practice. Lastly, we discuss future research directions and limitations of this research.