Influence of corporate social responsibility in job pursuit intention among prospective employees in Malaysia

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether different corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions, namely, workplace economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical responsibility, philanthropic responsibility and environmental responsibility, have different influence on job pursuit intention among undergraduate students in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe target respondents are undergraduate business students from five leading private universities in Malaysia. Primary data were collected through survey questionnaires via face-to-face method. Five-point Likert scale was used to assess the variables and to measure the items. Collected data were tested through SAS software and analysed with descriptive and inferential analyses.FindingsFour out of the five CSR dimensions significantly influence job pursuit intention with ethical responsibility being the exception.Practical implicationsThis study proved that the adoption of CSR in an organisation will become a competitive advantage to attract new talents. Also, this is an improved research model by adopting multi-dimensional perspectives of CSR.Originality/valueThis proposed framework with a combination of five CSR dimensions (workplace economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical responsibility, philanthropic responsibility and environmental responsibility) is useful to future researchers as it enables them to have a broader view on CSR and its effect on job pursuit intention.