Does treating customers badly increase employee social loafing? The role of disidentification, collective guilt, and moral attentiveness

Syed Khalil Ahmed, Ghulam Murtaza, Marc Ohana, Rahman Khan and Qurat-Ul-Ain Talpur
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Syed Khalil Ahmed: UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
Ghulam Murtaza: Kedge BS - Kedge Business School, LAB IAE Paris - Sorbonne - IAE Paris - Sorbonne Business School
Marc Ohana: Kedge BS - Kedge Business School, CREG - Centre de recherche et d'études en gestion - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
Rahman Khan: PSB - Paris School of Business - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université
Qurat-Ul-Ain Talpur: PSB - Paris School of Business - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université

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Abstract: Purpose Drawing on the theories of social identity and affective events, this research aims to explore the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards customers on employees' social loafing. In addition, the authors consider that moral attentiveness moderates the relationship of CSR towards customers with employee disidentification and collective guilt. Design/methodology/approach Time-lagged data (N = 152) were collected at three time points (T1, T2 and T3) through the data collection platform Amazon Mechanical Turk from the full-time employees working in the USA. Findings The results suggest that both disidentification and collective guilt significantly mediate the relationship between customer CSR and social loafing. Moreover, moral attentiveness significantly moderates both customer CSR–disidentification and customer CSR–collective guilt relationships. Originality/value This study provides novel insights into the process underlying the relationship between CSR towards customers and social loafing by revealing the mediating role of disidentification and collective guilt, as well as the moderating role of moral attentiveness. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and offer directions for future research on CSR towards customers and social loafing.

Date: 2026
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Published in International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2026, pp.1-23. ⟨10.1108/IJOA-02-2025-5236⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05525900

DOI: 10.1108/IJOA-02-2025-5236

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