Degree

Master of Science in Management

Faculty / School

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Department

Department of Management

Date of Submission

Fall 2024-11-25

Supervisor

Dr. Amer Iqbal Awan, Assistant Professor and Director Undergraduate Program SBS, Department of Management

Committee Member 1

Dr. Muhammad Ayaz, Assistant Professor, Department of Management

Committee Member 2

Dr. Asher Saleem, Program Director Graduate Programs (SBS)

Project Type

MS Management Research Project

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Corporate Social Responsibility, Employer Attractiveness, Signaling Theory, Social Exchange Theory, Social Identity Theory, Person-Organization Fit Theory

Abstract

Existing research indicates that an organization’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) increases it attractiveness as an employer, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms which cause job seeker’s CSR perception to influence employer attractiveness. Therefore, by using “signaling theory” as an overarching framework, in combination with “social exchange theory”, “social identity theory” and “person-organization fit theory”, this study tests the hypotheses on three signal-based mechanisms which mediate the relationship between job seekers’ CSR perception and organizational attractiveness. We propose three mediating mechanisms – job seekers’ expectation of how the employer treats its employees (Expected Employee Treatment), anticipated pride/prestige from being affiliated with an employer (Perceived Employer Prestige) and their perception of value fit with an employer (Perceived Value Fit) – and check the relative effect size and goodness of fit for each mediator on the relationship between job seekers’ perception of firm’s CSR and employer attractiveness. Data is collected from 300 final year graduate and undergraduate students in business schools of Pakistan and structural equation modelling is used to analyze it. The results of this study provide support for the mediation effect of one of the three signal-based mechanisms, perceived value-fit. If the values of job seekers are consistent and similar to the recruiting organization’s values, then that organization will ultimately become a more attractive choice to work for.

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