Who's Responsible? Using Proactive Personality, Felt Responsibility, and CSR Context to Predict Socially Responsible and Irresponsible Behaviors at and Outside of Work

Drew B Mallory, Purdue University

Abstract

This research explores the antecedents and consequences of felt responsibility for constructive change within the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). A moderated mediation model is proposed wherein proactive personality predicts felt responsibility, which in turn influences three types of individual-level socially (ir)responsibile behaviors both within and beyond organizational boundaries (i.e., socially responsible behaviors in the workplace, counterproductive work behaviors, and socially responsible behaviors outside the workplace). Perceptions of CSR were predicted to place a situational boundary condition on the effects of felt responsibility. Predictions tested on a large employee sample showed that proactive personality drives socially (ir)responsible behaviors via felt responsibility, but that when individuals perceive a high level of CSR, the predictive power of felt responsibility is diminished (illustrating the potential power of socially responsible workplace environments). The findings from this work shed light on best-practices for the development of CSR initiatives in addition to furthering our understanding of individual-level responsibility.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Rupp, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Psychology|Organization Theory|Organizational behavior

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