Embracing corporate social responsibility: How organizations can foster sustainable commitment to societal impact

Whether it concerns implementing more sustainable operations, promoting equal opportunities in the workplace, or ensuring fair and transparent supply chains—organizations play a defining role in how societal challenges are addressed. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reflects how organizations recognize and enact this broader role in both policy and practice.

Yet in practice, CSR efforts often struggle to gain traction. In some organizations, initiatives remain confined to isolated projects or fade as priorities shift. In others, CSR becomes a guiding force embedded in how people work and decide together. This dissertation investigates what enables CSR commitment to endure in some organizations, while in others it fails to take root.

The central premise is that sustainable CSR engagement can arise when it is grounded in shared values, internalized within organizational identity, and reflected in everyday decision-making—not merely codified in policy or driven by external compliance. Building on insights from social identity theory and self-determination theory, the research examines how intrinsic motivation and shared purpose shape the depth and continuity of societal commitment.

The dissertation comprises five studies involving more than 200 organizations, conducted partly in collaboration with MVO Nederland. These studies investigate motivational profiles, stakeholder dynamics, performance metrics, and implementation practices. Results indicate that CSR engagement is more likely to endure when it is experienced as a shared core value—one that aligns goals, connects people across roles and levels, and informs daily practice.

This dissertation thus offers a deepened perspective on corporate social responsibility: as an intrinsic force that provides direction, strengthens coherence, and enables organizations to realize lasting societal impact—from within.