How CSR Shapes Reputation: A Culture-Moderated, Multi-Mediation Model of Image, Knowledge Creation, and Stakeholder Engagement in IT Firms
Abstract
This study examines the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on corporate reputation in Pakistan’s information technology (IT) sector, incorporating corporate image, knowledge creation, and stakeholder engagement as mediating variables, and organizational culture as a moderating factor. Drawing on stakeholder theory and the knowledge-based view, the study employs a quantitative research design using data collected from 302 managerial respondents across 80 IT firms. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS was used to assess the direct, indirect, and moderating relationships among the constructs. The results reveal that CSR has a significant direct effect on corporate reputation and exerts indirect effects through corporate image, knowledge creation, and stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, organizational culture significantly strengthens the positive relationship between CSR and knowledge creation, highlighting the importance of supportive internal environments in amplifying CSR’s strategic value. These findings demonstrate that CSR initiatives that are well-communicated, learning-oriented, and stakeholder-inclusive enhance trust, innovation, and reputational capital. The study contributes to the CSR literature by offering a multidimensional explanatory framework applicable to emerging economies and knowledge-intensive industries. Practical implications are provided for managers and policymakers seeking to embed CSR within cultural, relational, and learning processes to sustain competitive advantage in dynamic market environments.
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