A More Ethical Workplace? How and Why Perceived Socially Responsible Human Resource Management Makes a Difference

Abstract

Socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) is a critical component of an organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. It focuses on promoting sustainability goals and creating a positive social environment for employees to observe, learn, and internalize the organization's ethical values. Drawing on social learning theory, we conducted two separate field studies to investigate the direct and indirect links between employee perceptions of SRHRM practices and ethical workplace behaviour, as well as the moderating role of supervisor ethical leadership. In Study 1, we analysed three-wave data from 243 employees in Taiwanese organizations. The results show that perceived SRHRM practices shape ethical workplace behaviour both directly and indirectly through cognitive (value commitment) and morality-based (moral ownership) mechanisms. Study 2 validates these findings using time-lagged data from 302 employee–supervisor dyads in Vietnamese organizations. Additionally, this study reveals that the indirect positive relationship between perceived SRHRM and ethical behaviour is stronger when supervisors adopt an ethical leadership style. These findings offer a crucial Asia-Pacific perspective, complementing the predominantly Western-focused views on social responsibility in HRM and CSR research.