Graduation Term
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
School of Communication
Committee Chair
John Baldwin
Committee Member
Rebecca Hayes
Committee Member
Lance Lippert
Abstract
Corporate volunteerism is a key component of the philanthropic pillar of CSR, shaping employee engagement and organizational identity. This study employed the social exchange and sensemaking theories to explore how employees make meaning of their experiences in corporate volunteer initiatives and how their experiences influence their perceptions of their organizations. Data was gathered from in-depth interviews with employees with varied corporate volunteer experiences across multiple organizations. The findings show that despite employees’ strong motivations to engage in corporate volunteerism, they face challenges such as time and workload constraints and limited variety of volunteer opportunities. The study also found that employees’ involvement in corporate volunteerism shaped their perception of their organization’s commitment to CSR as more genuine. This study offers some important recommendations for organizations seeking to enhance their corporate volunteerism efforts and strengthen employee engagement in CSR initiatives.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Anani, Janet Laadi, "Voices from Within: Employees' Sensemaking of Corporate Volunteerism" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2063.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2063
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons