The ability to motivate, engage and retain talent is one of the main challenges facing organisations.

This article presents the main findings of a research study that analyses the effect of three responsible labour management practices —training and development, job security, and equality and diversity— on motivation, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. To this end, an empirical study was carried out based on a survey of 1,244 employees in Spanish organisations. The results confirm that internal CSR is a strategic tool for fostering more sustainable and competitive organisations.

Organizations are navigating a period marked by uncertainty, technological transformation, and growing difficulty in attracting and retaining talent. Compounding this are shortages of certain professional profiles, an ageing active workforce, and ever-increasing worker expectations regarding professional development and working conditions.

In this context, having technology or financial capacity is no longer enough to maintain a competitive advantage. Companies need to rethink their people management strategies, as they compete not only to offer better products or services, but also to create work environments capable of generating motivation, identification, and satisfaction among their employees. From this perspective, people management has ceased to be a merely operational function and has become a strategic element.

In this scenario, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in its internal dimension, takes on particular relevance. Beyond initiatives directed at the social environment or environmental protection, policies aimed at improving working conditions can become a differential factor for organisational performance. However, the resources allocated to these actions are limited, which raises a key question for organisational leaders: which practices genuinely generate a positive response from employees?

To answer this question, a study was conducted based on the perceptions of 1,244 workers from Spanish organisations, spanning different sectors, company sizes, and professional profiles. The study analysed the influence of three practices characteristic of socially responsible management — training and professional development, job stability, and equality and diversity policies — on three variables closely linked to organisational behaviour: motivation, identification with the organisation, and job satisfaction.

The results show that all three practices maintain a positive and significant relationship with employee attitudes, although their degree of influence varies in intensity.

Initiatives that promote training and professional development constitute the practice that most strongly reinforces this bond. When organisations invest in continuous learning and offer growth opportunities, they not only facilitate the acquisition of competencies, but also convey trust and recognition. As a result, they increase their teams’ motivation, strengthen their sense of belonging, and improve satisfaction with the work performed.

Job stability is the second factor in terms of magnitude of influence. In an economic environment characterised by constant change, conveying employment security reduces uncertainty, reinforces trust between workers and the organisation, and fosters both motivation and greater engagement with corporate objectives. Those who perceive a stable work environment show higher levels of satisfaction derived from their work and greater identification with the company.

Equality and diversity policies, beyond regulatory obligation, also play a relevant role. Organisations that promote fair and equitable treatment and processes, adequately manage diversity, and offer inclusive environments generate a greater perception of organisational justice. This perception strengthens the sense of belonging and contributes positively to both motivation and job satisfaction.

The research provides practical guidance for corporate management by demonstrating that internal CSR practices directed at people can generate valuable returns by contributing to the strengthening of the relationship between employees and the organisation, fostering positive reactions closely linked to organisational performance.

Among these, training and development stand out as the initiative with the greatest capacity for influence. This does not, however, diminish the importance of job stability or equality and diversity policies. The results show that the combination of these three practices favours the creation of more robust, committed, and inclusive work environments.

One of the study’s main contributions is that its conclusions are drawn directly from the perceptions of more than one thousand workers, going beyond the usual approach based exclusively on information provided by organisations or on the analysis of their sustainability reports. This approach makes it possible to understand how employees actually value the initiatives developed by their companies and which ones generate the greatest impact on their work experience.

In summary, the research confirms that the internal dimension of CSR constitutes an effective instrument for people management within the framework of business strategy. When resources are limited, having evidence of which practices deliver the greatest value facilitates decision-making. Prioritising training and professional development, providing job stability, and consolidating equitable and inclusive work environments makes it possible to strengthen employee motivation, identification, and satisfaction — contributing to the development of more resilient, competitive organisations better prepared to face the challenges of today’s business environment.

References

• Blaya-Hernández, P. and Currás-Pérez, R. (2025). CSR at Work: How Training, Stability, and Diversity Shape Employee Responses. RA Journal of Applied Research, 11(5), 406–412. https://doi.org/10.47191/rajar/v11i5.08

*Disclaimer: This English version has been generated with the support of AI-based translation tools. In case of discrepancies, the Spanish original prevails.