(Mis)Using employee volunteering for public relations: Implications for corporate volunteersʹ organizational commitment

This study examines the conditions under which corporate volunteering initiatives can result in work outcomes. We posit that employees participating in company-supported volunteering activities (corporate volunteers) respond attitudinally to company support for employee volunteering (CSEV) based on the attributions they make about the companyʹs purpose in implementing the volunteering program. Specifically, we examine the moderating role of corporate volunteersʹ attributions concerning the public relations motives underlying companiesʹ employee volunteering programs. A sequential mixed methodology design is used for this study, consisting of two distinct phases: qualitative followed by quantitative. Results show that attributions of public relations motives undermine the positive effects of CSEV on corporate volunteersʹ perceptions of company prosocial identity, and subsequently, on corporate volunteersʹ affective company commitment. We discuss implications for theory and practice.