Employee corporate social responsibility and well-being: the role of work, family and culture spillover

Purpose Considering the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this research investigates the mediating roles of work, family and culture on the relationship between employee corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee well-being.

Design/methodology/approach Self-administered questionnaire data from 403 employees working across multiple organisations in the United Kingdom were analysed using path analysis with SmartPLS.

Findings Organisations can only maximally benefit from their CSR investment when specific HR strategies are in place, as no direct relationship between CSR and well-being outcomes was observed. Family-to-work spillover and work–family culture were significant mediators in the relationship between employee CSR and well-being.

Research limitations/implications CSR strategies targeted at improving employee well-being do not necessarily do so in a direct approach. They, therefore, may not serve the desired performance outcomes of organisations. Boundary conditions of applying the crossover model of COR theory were observed.

Originality/value This research contributes to the limited knowledge of the effectiveness of employee-related CSR strategies on HRM and well-being outcomes from an employees' perspective. Employee-related CSR strategies are unlikely to improve employee well-being if the inter-individual level of analysis, i.e. interchange between work, family and culture, is not considered.