CSR and job satisfaction in Pakistan’s construction sector: The roles of organizational commitment and perceived support
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on employee job satisfaction within Pakistan’s construction industry, with a focus on the mediating role of organizational commitment and the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS). Employing survey data collected from a diverse range of construction firms across Pakistan, the quantitative analysis reveals that CSR initiatives significantly enhance employee job satisfaction, primarily through the mediating influence of organizational commitment. The findings suggest that when employees perceive their organization as socially responsible and engaged in community betterment, they exhibit greater commitment to the organization, which in turn fosters higher levels of job satisfaction. Although POS does not significantly moderate the CSR—job satisfaction relationship, it remains a critical factor in cultivating a supportive and positive work environment. This study contributes to the growing literature on CSR and employee outcomes by offering empirical evidence from a developing economy context. The results have practical implications for construction firms aiming to enhance employee morale and reduce turnover by leveraging CSR as a strategic tool to improve organizational commitment and overall job satisfaction.
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Akhouri, A., & Chaudhary, R. (2019). Employee perspective on CSR: a review of the literature and research agenda. Journal of Global Responsibility, 10(4), 355–381. https://doi.org/10.1108/jgr-11-2018-0057
Ali, H. Y., Asrar‐ul‐Haq, M., Amin, S., et al. (2020). Corporate Social Responsibility and employee performance: The mediating role of employee engagement in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(6), 2908–2919. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2011
Altheeb, S., Obeidat, B., Alshurideh, M. T., & Masa’deh, R. E. (2023). Reviewing the literature of internal Corporate Social Responsibility on job satisfaction. In: The Effect of Information Technology on Business and Marketing Intelligence Systems. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 1277-1293.
Asrar-ul-Haq, M., Kuchinke, K. P., & Iqbal, A. (2017). The relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment: Case of Pakistani higher education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 2352–2363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.040
Brammer, S., Millington, A., & Rayton, B. (2007). The contribution of Corporate Social Responsibility to organizational commitment. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(10), 1701–1719. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190701570866
Brammer, S., Branicki, L., & Linnenluecke, M. (2023). Disrupting Management Research? Critical Reflections on British Journal of Management COVID‐19 Research and an Agenda for the Future. British Journal of Management, 34(1), 3–15. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12699
Chatzopoulou, E. C., Manolopoulos, D., & Agapitou, V. (2022). Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Outcomes: Interrelations of External and Internal Orientations with Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment. Journal of Business Ethics, 179(3), 795–817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04872-7
Chaudhary, R., & Akhouri, A. (2019). CSR perceptions and employee creativity: examining serial mediation effects of meaningfulness and work engagement. Social Responsibility Journal, 15(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/srj-01-2018-0018
Cheng, Z. (2014). The Effects of Employee Involvement and Participation on Subjective Wellbeing: Evidence from Urban China. Social Indicators Research, 118(2), 457–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0430-8
Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
De Roeck, K., & Farooq, O. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Leadership: Investigating Their Interactive Effect on Employees’ Socially Responsible Behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(4), 923–939. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3656-6
Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., et al. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500
Eisenberger, R., Stinglhamber, F., Vandenberghe, C., et al. (2002). Perceived supervisor support: Contributions to perceived organizational support and employee retention. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(3), 565–573. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.565
Erdogan, B., & Enders, J. (2007). Support from the top: Supervisors’ perceived organizational support as a moderator of leader-member exchange to satisfaction and performance relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(2), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.321
Guzzo, R. F., Wang, X., Madera, J. M., et al. (2021). Organizational trust in times of COVID-19: Hospitality employees’ affective responses to managers’ communication. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102778
Hawn, O., & Ioannou, I. (2016). Mind the gap: The interplay between external and internal actions in the case of Corporate Social Responsibility. Strategic Management Journal, 37(13), 2569–2588. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2464
Hajiali, I., Fara Kessi, A. M., Budiandriani, B., et al. (2022). Determination of Work Motivation, Leadership Style, Employee Competence on Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance. Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management, 2(1), 57–69. https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v2i1.160
Holmbeck, G. N., & Devine, K. A. (2009). Editorial: An Author’s Checklist for Measure Development and Validation Manuscripts. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34(7), 691–696. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsp046
Li, X., Liu, Z., & Ali, T. (2024). Energy–Economy–Carbon Emissions: Impacts of Energy Infrastructure Investments in Pakistan Under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. Sustainability, 16(23), 10191. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310191
Locke, E. A., Sirota, D., & Wolfson, A. D. (1976). An experimental case study of the successes and failures of job enrichment in a government agency. Journal of Applied Psychology, 61(6), 701–711. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.61.6.701
Maignan, I., & Ferrell, O. C. (2001). Antecedents and benefits of corporate citizenship: An investigation of French businesses. Journal of Business Research, 51(1), 37-51.
Meyer, J. P., Allen, N. J., & Smith, C. A. (1993). Commitment to organizations and occupations: Extension and test of a three-component conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(4), 538–551. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.4.538
Mowday, R. T., Steers, R. M., & Porter, L. W. (1979). The measurement of organizational commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14(2), 224-247.
Obeidat, B., Altheeb, S., & Masa’deh, R. (2018). The Impact of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility on Job Satisfaction in Jordanian Pharmaceutical Companies. Modern Applied Science, 12(11), 105. https://doi.org/10.5539/mas.v12n11p105
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2007). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy and relations with strain factors, perceived collective teacher efficacy, and teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 611–625. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.611
Spector, P. E. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction Survey. American Journal of Community Psychology, 13(6), 693–713. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00929796
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1985). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In: Worchel, S., & Austin, W. G. (editors). Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chicago: Nelson-Hal. pp. 7-24.
Turker, D. (2009). Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility: A Scale Development Study. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(4), 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9780-6
Yang, J., Zhang, Z., & Tsui, A. S. (2010). Middle Manager Leadership and Frontline Employee Performance: Bypass, Cascading, and Moderating Effects. Journal of Management Studies, 47(4), 654–678. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00902.x