Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved from a focus on legal and financial obligations to encompass moral and optional duties, considering social, economic, and environmental factors. Recent research has introduced the concept of "micro-CSR," focusing on individual employee perceptions and responses to organizational CSR practices. While existing research shows positive impacts of micro-CSR on employee behaviors, there's a need for a deeper understanding of the mediating mechanisms involved. This study addresses this gap by investigating how perceived micro-CSR influences employee attitudes and behaviors (organizational commitment, job satisfaction, counterproductive work behaviors, and turnover intent) through the mediating effects of organizational trust, justice, and identification. The study is set in the context of cellular network companies in Pakistan, providing insights into the impact of micro-CSR in a specific cultural and organizational setting. The importance of this research lies in its potential to provide practical guidance to businesses on how to effectively implement CSR initiatives to improve employee outcomes and contribute to a more positive work environment.

The literature review examines the existing research on the relationship between CSR and various employee outcomes. Three key organizational factors—organizational justice, trust, and identification—are highlighted as frequently investigated mediators in this relationship. Organizational justice refers to employees' perceptions of fairness in their workplace, trust reflects employees' faith in their organization, and organizational identification represents employees' sense of belonging and connection to the organization. The literature suggests that CSR initiatives can enhance these factors, ultimately influencing employee attitudes and behaviors. Social Exchange Theory (SET) provides a theoretical framework for understanding these relationships, suggesting that positive exchanges between employees and the organization lead to favorable outcomes. The literature review also summarizes existing findings on the relationship between CSR and specific employee outcomes (commitment, satisfaction, CWBs, and turnover intent), setting the stage for the hypotheses of the current study.

The study employs a quantitative research design using a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from a sample of 767 senior and junior executives (a 92% response rate) from three major cellular network companies in Pakistan using a stratified sampling technique. The questionnaire measured perceived micro-CSR, organizational justice, organizational trust, organizational identification, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, counterproductive work behaviors, and turnover intent, using established scales. Factor analysis was used to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized parallel mediation model, examining the direct and indirect effects of perceived micro-CSR on the employee outcomes, mediated by organizational trust, justice, and identification. In addition, a meta-analysis was conducted using the PRISMA model to consolidate findings from 43 relevant studies (total sample size of 29,493) examining the relationship between employee perceptions of CSR and their job-related attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The meta-analysis used Hedges and Olkin's approach to calculate the variability of z-transformed statistics and the Fisher z transformation to evaluate the data. The analysis software used was JASP.

The results showed a significant positive relationship between perceived micro-CSR and organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Conversely, a significant negative relationship was observed between perceived micro-CSR and CWBs and turnover intent. The SEM analysis revealed that organizational trust, justice, and identification significantly mediated the relationship between perceived micro-CSR and organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and CWBs. However, these mediating variables did not significantly mediate the relationship between perceived micro-CSR and turnover intent. The meta-analysis of 43 studies confirmed the positive association between employee perceptions of CSR and both their attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The coefficient of determination (R²) indicated a 72% variance in the endogenous factors, showing strong predictive strength of the model. Bootstrapping with 5000 samples were used to assess direct and indirect effects. The study showed that organizational trust had the most significant mediating effect across various employee outcomes.

The findings support the hypothesized parallel mediation model based on social exchange theory, demonstrating that perceived micro-CSR positively impacts employee attitudes and behaviors via distinct mediating pathways. The significant mediating role of organizational trust, justice, and identification suggests that companies should focus on fostering these aspects of the work environment to maximize the positive effects of CSR initiatives. The lack of mediation for turnover intent indicates that other factors might be more influential in employees' decision to leave. The consistency of findings across the SEM and meta-analysis strengthens the generalizability of the results. The context of Pakistani cellular companies provides valuable cultural insights and highlights the importance of adapting CSR strategies to local contexts. This research bridges the gap between micro-CSR and specific employee outcomes, offering practical implications for organizations aiming to improve employee well-being and performance through CSR initiatives.

This study provides strong evidence that perceived micro-CSR positively influences employee attitudes and behaviors, particularly organizational commitment and job satisfaction, while reducing counterproductive work behaviors. Organizational trust, justice, and identification play crucial mediating roles in this process. The findings highlight the importance of aligning CSR initiatives with organizational values and practices to create a positive and rewarding work experience. Future research could explore additional mediating and moderating factors, investigate the impact of specific types of CSR initiatives, and conduct longitudinal studies to establish stronger causal relationships.

The study's cross-sectional design limits the establishment of causal relationships between variables. The focus on cellular network companies in Pakistan might limit the generalizability of the findings to other sectors or cultures. The reliance on self-reported data might introduce potential biases. Future research should use longitudinal designs, investigate other sectors and cultures, and employ multiple data collection methods to address these limitations. Also, exploring the actual impact of CSR as opposed to perceived CSR is another avenue for future research.