Impact of university social responsibility on staff work engagement: A study in Ghana

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) application to the higher education context referred to as University Social Responsibility (USR) has been increasingly adopted globally, gaining traction because of the growing realization that universities play a vital role in society's development, improvement, and welfare. However, the lack of research on the relationship between social responsibility and work engagement is also evident in higher education. Furthermore, there is little to no understanding regarding the mediating and moderating mechanisms through which social responsibility impacts work engagement in the context of higher education in Ghana due to a lack of research on the subject. The study's main objective is to determine the influence of a university’s internal and external social responsibility (USR) on employee work engagement and the roles that affective commitment and identification perception play in the relationship. The model was tested by employing an explanatory research design where self-administered and structured questionnaires were used for primary data collection utilising the drop-and-pick method. Structural equation modelling was configured to test the resultant formulated hypotheses through a reflective-formative approach. A two-stage embedded approach was thus utilized and data analysis was at the individual level, with 412 cases. The results of the study indicated a weak improvement in the state of affective commitment among workers. Also, through the execution of internal USR and external USR activities, staff developed favourable identification perceptions in a positive but weak manner. Surprisingly, the study illustrates that internal USR activities do not improve work engagement among university workers. However, external USR activities improve work engagement among workers in a positive but weak manner. Affective commitment among the workers causes significant positive development in work engagement among their workforces. The findings of this study provide insights into the ways in which CSR initiatives can enhance employee engagement, which can ultimately lead to improved organisational performance and productivity.