The perception of the Corporate Social Responsibility by students and young Master subject and focus: the perception of CSR Daytime schedule job seekers in contrast to financial rewards

Details

Supervisors

Hericher, Corentin

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

This thesis explores how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and salary influence young graduates’ career choices, focusing on both emotional engagement (organizational pride) and behavioral intent (intention to join). Grounded in social identity theory and signaling theory, the study uses a 2x2 experimental design to isolate the effects of high vs. low CSR and salary conditions. The results show that CSR significantly enhances emotional identification, often more strongly than salary alone. While salary positively impacts intention to join, it lacks the emotional depth that CSR offers. Notably, the combination of high CSR and high salary produces the strongest outcomes across all variables, suggesting that ethical alignment and financial reward work best together to attract and engage talent. These findings underscore the importance of CSR as a strategic tool in employer branding. In an era where young professionals seek purpose as well as pay, organizations that demonstrate genuine responsibility are more likely to inspire pride, trust, and long-term interest from future employees.