The Impact of Corporate Social Advocacy: A Case Study on Building Employee-Company Relationships through Corporate Engagement in the Fight Against Asian Hate

Building on social identity theory, this study explores how corporate social advocacy (CSA) can help improve the quality of the relationship between a company and its employees, thus, enhancing employee engagement. This case study investigates the impact of corporate engagement on the fight against the tide of anti-Asian sentiment that has arisen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing an online survey, this study asks full-time employees in the U.S. to rate their employer's reaction to the #StopAsianHate movement. Questions include whether their organization expressed solidarity with Asians, their perceived relationship quality with their organization, and how engaged they felt with their organization. The findings suggest that corporate support for the #StopAsianHate movement increases employees' organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and employee-company identification (ECI). As a result, the employees develop greater emotional engagement in the workplace. This case study contributes to the literature on the quality of employee relations by providing practical guidelines on how corporations should manage controversial socio-political issues to enhance organizational membership.