The research on the relationship between socially responsible human resource management and counterproductive work behavior: A moderated mediation model

Counterproductive work behavior (CWB), which is defined as volitional employee behavior intended to harm the organization and its members, has become a fast-growing topic in the field of management. CWB can be directed at the organization (CWB-O) or specific persons (CWB-P) and poses threats to effective organizational functioning. Therefore, the relevant issues about how to reduce employee counterproductive work behavior have been paid attention by scholars and practitioners in recent years. To decrease this kind of deviant behavior, we introduce socially responsible human resource management, which refers to recruiting and retaining socially responsible employees, providing CSR training, and considering employees’ social contributions in promotion, performance appraisal, and remuneration. Based on the Affective Event theory, we explore the effect of socially responsible human resource management on counterproductive work behavior by examining the mediating effect of positive emotions, and further propose the moderation effect of CSR attribution in the process. Based on the data from the questionnaire survey, the results revealed four major findings. First, socially responsible human resource management is negatively related to counterproductive work behavior. Second, positive emotions mediate the relationship between socially responsible human resource management and counterproductive work behavior. Third, CSR’s altruistic attributions positively moderate the relationship between socially responsible human resource management and positive emotions; CSR’s self-interest attribution does not. Fourth, CSR’s altruistic attributions positively moderate the indirect effect of socially responsible human resource management on counterproductive work behavior mediated by positive emotions. Specifically, this study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this study examines the relationship between socially responsible human resource management and counterproductive work behavior based on the Affective Event theory. Research on CSR focused on its impact on organizational performance and ignored its impact on an individual level, especially individual negative behavior. This study includes employees’ counterproductive work behavior in its models and analyzes the mediating role of positive emotions in the relation between socially responsible human resource management and counterproductive work behavior. The study further explores the contingency effect of CSR’s attributions on employee motivation and behaviors. Practically, the paper can shed new light on the effect of socially responsible human resource management and CSR’s attributions on counterproductive work behavior.