Human resources and corporate social responsibility: How do HR specialists perceive CSR practices in Greece

Abstract

Companies need to understand and support their obligations towards society. A stakeholder theory of the firm has been introduced since the late 60s, in lieu of the traditional shareholder theory, which is directly linked to profit maximization. In that context, the idea that corporations need to have a projection on society, is being defined as Corporate Social Responsibility. Existing literature supports the link between CSR strategy and strategic HRM goals, as it is widely considered to be one of the factors contributing to better performance, increased organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and better employer branding, however it’s been noticed that for most companies, it does not constitute a necessity. The aim of this thesis research is to discover the current trends in the HR field related to CSR practices applied in the Greek market, and to capture the managerial perceptions around Corporate Social Responsibility. To understand how HR professionals perceive the CSR implementation and its connection with HR, online interviews with HR professional from companies of different size and industries took place, chosen through non-probability sampling methods. The findings unravel the reality of how CSR is currently being implemented in Greece and exposes the implications that put a barrier to this implementation. The results suggest, that although HR professionals understand the need for CSR activities, and strive for their incorporation in the business practices, implications such as lack of dedicated resources and inconvenient prioritization exist.