Signaling and Social Influence: The Impact of Corporate Volunteer Programs

Abstract

Corporate volunteer programs present opportunities for employees to contribute their time and skills to further important causes and help communities in need. The programs not only contribute to a better world, but the literature suggests they benefit participants themselves with participation associated with increased happiness, reduced stress, and better job performance. Despite these benefits, the uptake of these programs by employees is surprisingly low. And little is known about the affective reactions of employees that do not participate. We draw on signaling and social influence theory to examine the effects of corporate volunteer programs on employees who take part in a volunteering initiative, as well as those who do not. In a longitudinal field study at a large organization in the Northeast, we find that even when employee participation in volunteering is low, there is a significant influence on employees’ organization- and volunteer-related perceptions resulting from social sharing among coworkers. These positive effects are most prominent when employees are in positions that afford flexibility, and when coworker ties are close. Understanding these effects of corporate volunteer programs on employee outcomes is important as firms seek to provide a more enriching environment for their workforce.