Corporate social responsibility, affective commitment and employee retention in marinas: the mediating role of employer brand perceptions

This study examines whether, and through which dimensions, employer brand perceptions mediate the relationships between employees' corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions and affective commitment and retention in marinas. Data came from 400 employees of 21 private marinas in Türkiye. CSR was measured through a multi-stakeholder structure (employee-, customer- and stakeholder-oriented) and the employer brand through its value dimensions. Hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling with demographic controls, and specific indirect effects were assessed through Monte Carlo confidence intervals. Employee-oriented CSR was associated with retention both directly and indirectly through economic and development value, and this pattern remained robust across specifications. Customer-oriented CSR showed a significant indirect association with retention through development value, despite a non-significant total effect. Stakeholder-oriented CSR showed no unique association with any employer brand dimension when the other CSR sources were controlled. For affective commitment, mediation was inconsistent, a positive channel through development value was offset by a negative channel through economic value, leaving the total indirect effects non-significant. Several dimension-level results changed across alternative specifications. Relationships between CSR and employee outcomes therefore vary with the stakeholder target of CSR and the employer brand dimension involved, supporting the preservation of both constructs’ dimensional structure.