The mediating effect of corporate social responsibility in the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational identification: A research in banking sector

Year 2023, Volume: 16 Issue: 4, 1037 - 1063, 29.10.2023

Melis Attar , Aboobakr Nıavand

https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1310910

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that encourages businesses to actively incorporate environmental and social issues into their daily operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR phenomenon not only highlighted the concept of ethical leadership (EL) but also affected organizational identification (OI) of employees by fostering the sense of belonging. There has seen a surge over the years in the research on CSR, EL and OI. In the literature, despite there is research on dual relationships, the tripartite relationship between concepts have not been analyzed. The purpose of this study is to consider this gap by investigating the mediating effect CSR in the relationship between EL and OI in the context of banking sector in Zahedan city of Iran. The data were collected through the survey method and the study was carried out on 278 personnel working in bank branches located in Zahedan city of Iran. The data gathered are analyzed using Hayes (2013) Model 4 Process plugin. Results of the analysis cleared that EL has a positive and significant effect on CSR and OI. Likewise, CSR has a positive and significant effect on OI. It has been also determined that CSR has a full mediation effect in this relationship between EL and OI. The findings provide an added value for the literature for theory and practice by emphasizing the importance of CSR in the relationship between EL and OI.

Keywords

corporate social responsibility, ethical leadership, organizational identification

Etik liderlik ve örgütsel özdeşleşme ilişkisinde kurumsal sosyal sorumluluğun aracılık etkisi: Bankacılık sektöründe bir araştırma

Abstract

Kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk (KSS) işletmeleri günlük operasyonlarının ve paydaşları ile ilişkilerinin içine çevresel ve sosyal konuları dahil etmesi için yüreklendiren bir kavram olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. KSS kavramı sadece etik liderlik (EL) kavramını ön plana çıkartmakla kalmamakta aynı zamanda çalışanları bağlılık duygusunu arttırarak örgütsel özdeşleşmeyi (ÖÖ) etkilemektedir. Son yıllarda, KSS, EL ve ÖÖ üzerine yapılan araştırmalar artış göstermektedir. Literatürde, kavramların ikili ilişkileri üzerine çalışmalar olmasına rağmen, üçlü ilişkinin analiz edilmediği görülmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, İran'ın Zahidan şehrinde bankacılık sektörü kapsamında EL ve ÖÖ arasındaki ilişkide KSS’nin aracılık etkisini araştırarak bu boşluğu doldurmaktır. Veriler anket yöntemiyle toplanmış ve çalışma İran'ın Zahidan şehrinde bulunan banka şubelerinde çalışan 278 personel üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplanan veriler Hayes (2013) Model 4 Process eklentisi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Analizin sonuçları, EL’nin KSS ve ÖÖ üzerinde olumlu ve anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Benzer şekilde, KSS, ÖÖ üzerinde olumlu ve anlamlı bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu ilişkide KSS’nin tam aracılık etkisine sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın bulguları, EL ve ÖÖ arasındaki ilişkide KSS'nin önemini vurgulayarak, teori ve uygulama literatürüne katma değer sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk, etik liderlik, örgütsel özdeşleşme

References

• Al-Shammari, M. A., Banerjee, S. N., & Rasheed, A. A. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and firm performance: A theory of dual responsibility. Management Decision, 60(6), 1513–1540. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-12-2020-1584
• Angus-Leppan, T., Metcalf, L., Benn, S.(2010). Leadership styles and CSR practice: an examination of sensemaking, institutional drivers and CSR leadership. J. Bus. Ethics 93 (2), 189–213.
• Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 20-39.
• Ashforth, B. E., Harrison, S. H., & Corley, K. G. (2008). Identification in organizations: An examination of four fundamental questions. Journal of Management,34, 325-374.
• Bauman, C.W. & Skitka, L.J. (2012). Corporate social responsibility as a source of employee satisfaction, Research in Organizational Behavior, 32, 63-86.
• Brammer, S., & Millington, A. (2005). Corporate reputation and philanthropy: An empirical analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 61, 29-44.
• Brown, E. Michael., Trevino, K. Linda. (2006). Ethical Leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
• Brown, M. E. (1969). Identification and some conditions of organizational involvement. Administrative Science Quarterly, 14(3), 346–355.
• Brown, M. E., & Mitchell, M. S. (2010). Ethical and unethical leadership: Exploring new avenues for future research. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20, 583–616. doi:10.5840/beq201020439.
• Brown, M. E., & Trevino, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
• Brown, M.E., Trevino, L.K. and Harrison, D.A. (2005). Ethical Leadership: A Social Learning Perspective for Construct Development and Testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97, 117-134.
• Carmeli, A., Atwater, L., & Levi, A. (2011). How leadership enhances employees’ knowledge sharing: The intervening roles of relational and organizational identification. Journal of Technology Transfer, 36, 257– 274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10961-010-9154-y
• Chen, W.-K., Tang, A. D., & Tuan, L. T. (2023). The mediating role of organizational identification between corporate social responsibility dimensions and employee opportunistic behavior: Evidence from symmetric and asymmetric approach triangulation. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 32(1), 50–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2022.2123075
• Cheng, J., Bai, H., & Hu, C. (2022). The relationship between ethical leadership and employee voice: The roles of error management climate and organizational commitment. Journal of Management & Organization, 28(1), 58–76. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2019.49
• Cheng, M. Y., & Wang, L. (2015). The mediating effect of ethical climate on the relationship between paternalistic leadership and team identification: A team-level analysis in the Chinese context. Journal of Business Ethics, 129(3), 639–654. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2189-5
• Choi, S. B., Ullah, S. M. E., & Kwak, W. J. (2015). Ethical Leadership and Followers’ Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Perceived Ethical Work Climate. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 43(3), 353–365. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2015.43.3.353.
• Ciulla, J. B. (1995). Leadership ethics: Mapping the territory. Business Ethics Quarterly, 5(1), 5-28.
• Ciulla, J.(2004). ‘Is Good Leadership Contrary to Human Nature’, Presentation at the Gallup Leadership Institute Summit, Lincoln, NE.
• Cooper, D., & Thatcher, S. M. (2010). Identification in organizations: The role of self-concept orientations and identification motives. Academy of Management Review, 35(4), 516-538.
• Costa, S., Daher, P., Neves, P., & Velez, M. J. (2022). The interplay between ethical leadership and supervisor organizational embodiment on organizational identification and extra-role performance. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(2), 214–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1952988