The role of HRM in CSR implementation

As previously explained in the third chapter, HR as an administrative expert focuses on designing and delivering efficient HR processes, such as recruitment, rewarding and performance appraisal (Ulrich 1997, 27). In the theory part, recruitment and screening, training, education and development, rewarding and compensation as well as performance management and appraisal were discussed based on the previous literature. Results found from the empirical study demonstrate that all the above-mentioned practices are used to implement CSR in the companies that were interviewed. Although it was not asked from the CSR professionals, to what practices HR should focus on or what practices they are already using in order to implement CSR, also respondents from CSR function brought up some HR practices that are used or should be used to implement CSR.

These practices were recruitment, working ability, training, staff development, communication and motivating staff. Similarly to CSR professionals’ answers, recruitment, training and communication came up also in HR professionals’ responses. In addition, HR professionals found for example pay rises and incentive systems as such practices that provide possibilities for CSR implementation in terms of motivating employees to work towards CSR objectives. Next, some of the above-mentioned practices will be further analyzed in terms of theoretical findings and empirical findings.

As stated by Jamali et al. (2015), recruitment is an important channel to hire those employees who have right personal traits, in this case, right CSR related personal traits. Lam and Khare (2010)

support this by claiming that screening process could focus more on the job candidates’ consistent CSR related values between the candidate and the organization. What is worth to notice, is that in order to hire people with a CSR mindset, the employer and especially the recruiter has to be committed to the company values, as stated by one of the interviewed HR professionals. In this way, recruiters can more easily identify those applicants who most likely have the same values as the recruiter and the whole company. This is in line with the claims of Colbert & Kurucz (2007), according to whom recruitment and selection process should involve sustainability intent and integrated objectives. Colbert & Kurucz (2007) have also stated that recruitment is a way to build commitment among the employees hired. Commitment of the applicants or the new employees that are hired is pivotal for them to become truly involved in the company culture and values.

Rewarding appeared to be a practice that all the HR respondents found important when implementing CSR. As already found in the theoretical part in chapter three, Jamali et al. (2015) have stated that HRM can work as a value creator in implementing CSR by rewarding and recognizing both economic and social performances of employees with a special pay system. It was left unclear from the study of Jamali et al. (2015), what are the specific attributes of this kind of pay system, but it could be a monthly incentive system that rewards employees for doing something good that relates to CSR, like in one of the companies interviewed.

The majority of the respondents from HR field put pressure on the importance of education and training when implementing CSR. As said earlier, these practices of HR were also acknowledged by some of the respondents from CSR function. It was found from the literature that communication and education are great ways to accomplish awareness (Maon et al. 2008), and for example company statements and policies, as well as employee newsletters can be used (Lam & Khare 2010). Communicating information to everybody in the company was, according to one of the HR interviewees, important in internal training. The same respondent found that training is a way to increase homogenous leadership and fair working. In one of the interviewed companies, an online education model is in use, and it includes a responsibility part. As described earlier in the chapter three, Lam and Khare (2010) have stated that in addition to training employees and reporting, employees should get motivated and become enthusiastic about CSR and this could be ensured for example by informing about the difference and impact the change has on the organization, themselves or others. It was left unclear, whether the online education model, which was mentioned by one of the respondents in HR, includes such motivational information. However, companies could benefit from launching such education models that involve concrete information about why it

is beneficial for an employee to understand different aspects of CSR and to use the gained knowledge in the actual work.

All of the interviewees within HR and majority of the interviewees within CSR departments found that employees take part in CSR implementation at the fewest to some extent. As described in the theoretical part of the study, employee champion role includes valuing employees to a high extent and HR professionals work as champions of employees and thus make the linkage between employees’ contributions and organizational success (Ulrich 1997, 29). Based on the empirical results can be said that the role of HR as an employee champion comes true in the majority of the interviewed companies or at least it is acknowledged that the contribution of employees in CSR matters is important and should be focused on even more. Mees and Bonham (2004) brought up the importance of employees' involvement in CSR by claiming that if employees are not engaged in CSR, CSR becomes an exercise of public relations and this causes the decrease in company’s credibility because the company is not actually implementing CSR. It is understandable that employees cannot take actions in all the CSR matters and in other matters they can, as described by one of the CSR respondents: employees cannot influence for example what kind of electricity is used in the company but they can report about the leaks of compressed air. Other ways by which employees can implement CSR, were found to be for example suggesting domestic products for a customer, turning off lights and reducing waste in production.

Two of the HR respondents stated that they have “forges” where employees can bring out their own ideas regarding CSR. It was noted by one of the respondents that rewarding is related to developing ideas while all the ideas are rewarded and the best ones are taken into practice. Engaging employees to implement CSR change and listening the views of employees considering CSR strategy is, according to Jamali et al. (2015), a way to assure employees’ contribution to company’s CSR.

Jamali et al. (2015) have also claimed that employees should be allowed to express their views about CSR in order to make employees feel that their contribution to CSR is valuable and this also strengthens the relationship between the company and the employee. One of the interviewees' answers supported the study results of Jamali et al. (2015), while the interviewee claimed that there should be a role for everybody when implementing strategy and employees in their company are participated in bringing out ideas about what can be improved.

Common ground rules and code of conduct were found important by two of the HR respondents.

According to the code of conduct, employees have to report if they notice something abnormal at work. In turn, common ground rules and the way of working consider everybody who works in the

company and the purpose is that employees internalize the ways of working and strategic objectives. However, it is not enough to require certain ways of working from employees; the organization has to act as an example. This is described by Trevino and Weaver (2001), who claim that the organization has to follow the ethical policies that the organization supports, and penalize those who violate the rules about ethical behavior. This ensures the employees’ commitment to the ethical behavior and the organizational ethics policies. A similar observation has been made by Collier and Esteban (2007), who have stressed the important role of top management in committing employees to ethical behavior as well as internal and external trust.

The final role in the implementation part is change agent role, which means that the role of HR is to help to identify and implement processes of change in an organization (Ulrich 1997, 30). The closer description of this role is presented in the third chapter. It was found from the theoretical literature that the role of HR as a change agent is to introduce CSR objectives to personnel (Buyens & De Vos 2001, Zappalà 2004), and communication is one of the various roles HRM has in an organization initiating CSR objectives (Inyang et al. 2011). All the HR professionals claimed that HR has a role in communicating CSR matters within HR field. The role of HR as an important messenger was acknowledged both by HR professionals and CSR professionals, but both the HR and CSR respondents noted that there is still room for improvement within communication and delivering the message to employees. Communication of HR was found that to be mostly internal but also external communication that is related to for example employer image, belongs under the HR tasks. This is addressed also by Inyang et al. (2011), who claim that HR professionals can communicate CSR activities also to the public and society. According to various respondents, spreading awareness is found crucial and, as stated by one of the respondents, even more important than having more resources: it is important to make employees understand what is meant by CSR so that employees can understand their own role in promoting CSR and what responsibility means in business life, as stated by one of the respondents within HR. This is addressed by Colbert and Kurucz (2007), according to whom communication and awareness can be achieved when HR creates conditions for dialogue that results in the employees’ understanding and agreeing on what is meant by sustainability.