From responsibility to reputation: How corporate social responsibility and communication strategies shape employer branding

Abstract

This study examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and communication strategies influence employer branding in the banking sector of South Punjab, Pakistan, through the mediating role of firm reputation. Grounded in Signaling Theory, the study proposes that CSR initiatives and communication practices signal organizational values to stakeholders, thereby shaping firm reputation, which in turn determines how a bank is perceived as an employer. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 172 employees working in public and private banks across South Punjab and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model demonstrated adequate reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Results confirmed all hypothesized relationships: both CSR (β = 0.144) and communication strategies (β = 0.686) significantly and positively predicted firm reputation, which in turn had a strong positive effect on employer branding (β = 0.819). Firm reputation was further found to mediate the relationships between CSR, communication strategies, and employer branding. The model explained 67.0% of the variance in firm reputation and 65.8% of the variance in employer branding. These findings suggest that banks operating in under-researched, non-WEIRD regional contexts such as South Punjab can strengthen their employer brand by investing in transparent communication and genuine CSR practices that build long-term reputational capital. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and directions for future research are discussed.