The CSR and greenwashing concepts knowledge and perceptions among employees of Polish organizations – a pilot study

Abstract

Purpose: The involvement of enterprises in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is one of the most important aspects of contemporary business ethics. The purpose of the study is to examine the perception and knowledge of employees who work in enterprises declaring and to record their observations in case of CSR, its reporting and greenwashing phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach: The article presents a pilot study. A partially categorized interview method was used. The interview was divided into three parts: Part I – Employee satisfaction with work in an organization that declares to act socially responsible. Part II is connected to an employee's view of the corporate social responsibility of the organization in which he works. Part III – the concept of corporate social responsibility and greenwashing. Additionally the survey was conducted. All data was collected and conclusions were drawn. The research sample consisted of 10 people who were interviewed and among whom a survey was conducted. All respondents work in enterprises that declare and report corporate social responsibility. Findings: The vast majority of employees of enterprises are aware of issues related to CSR reporting. They also know the concept of greenwashing. However, the soft aspects related to informing employees about CSR and reporting are problematic. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this paper is research sample, which was 10 respondents/participants of survey/interviews. However, it should be remembered that this is a pilot study that is to initiate research on a larger scale. Practical implications: The results of the study proposed in the article, which would be conducted on a larger scale, may provide a picture of the insights of employees directly involved in the business process declared as socially responsible. This may allow determining the most important factors for the organization, which determine the satisfaction and commitment to work of people employed in socially responsible enterprises. Also their work efficiency, commitment to building organizational culture and conviction to the values well-established in the company can be improved Originality/value: On the basis of the literature analysis, it can be noticed that research on the perception of CSR mainly relates to building the non-financial value of enterprises or consumer perceptions/attitudes. On this basis, a research gap was identified in the field of knowledge and CSR perception and job satisfaction of employees actively participating in socially responsible business processes or CSR reporting