The impact of Chinese firm’s CSR practice on job pursuit intention of host country national: An investigation in Bangladesh

Foreign-owned firms’ attractiveness as an employer is crucial for recruiting and retaining talented local job seekers since the new generation is concerned about the social image of their organization. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the practical tools to connect host country society and create social acceptability. Socially acceptable businesses are comparatively attractive to work with. Drawing on signaling theory to support the study findings, we used cross-sectional surveys with 182 local employees of export-oriented Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh export processing zone (EPZ) areas. We applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the study hypotheses. In addition, Preacher and Hayes mediation analyses were used to evaluate the mediating effect of employer attractiveness on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and job pursuit intention. The findings demonstrated a strong association between the research variables and indicate that CSR positively influences employer attractiveness and job pursuit intention. The results show that employer attractiveness partially mediates the impact of CSR on job pursuit intention. This research provides HR managers with practical insights for boosting employer attractiveness, which may play a crucial role in recruiting a competent local workforce. Future implications for HRD professionals and avenues for future research are discussed.