Corporate Social Responsibility, Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction in Leading Ghanaian Companies

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), employee engagement and job satisfaction in leading Ghanaian companies. More specifically, the study examines the nature and form of CSR activities in the selected companies, the influence of CSR on job satisfaction and employee engagement as well as the independent relationship between job satisfaction and employee engagement. In all, three companies adjudged the best CSR companies in the 2015 edition of the Ghana Club 100 awards were selected as the organisations for the study. They were Ecobank Ghana Limited, Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Bank Limited and Activa Insurance Ghana. The study employed a cross-sectional design and the mixed method approach in gathering data. Precisely, the concurrent mixed method approach was used to gather data at the same point in time. A hierarchical regression analysis was used in analyzing the survey data from 322 usable responses while the content analysis was also used in analyzing the 2015 annual reports from the three companies used in the study. The Ghana Club 100 report for 2015 was also analyzed to corroborate the findings from the annual reports of the companies used in the study. Findings from the study showed that the CSR activities of the three companies were more philanthropic and external in nature, with keen focus on education and health. Results from the quantitative analysis showed that employees from the three companies had a positive perception of their companies’ CSR activities. Further analysis from the hierarchical regression results showed that employee perception of CSR influenced employee engagement and job satisfaction. More specifically, the ethical dimension of CSR was the strongest predictor of employee engagement and job satisfaction amongst all the four dimensions of CSR in the selected companies used in the study. Again, results from the independent relationship between employee engagement and job satisfaction showed that job satisfaction significantly predicted employee engagement. In view of the findings from the study, it was recommended that companies should focus on developing a more integrated strategic CSR programmes while focusing on building an ethical work environment to positively influence employee job attitudes.