Building corporate reputation resilience in crises: Exploring the role of employees’ CSR engagement in China

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations faced reputational threats, highlighting the crucial role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in strengthening their public standing. Through an online survey study of 466 employees working within large-scale organizations in China, this study examined the relationships between CSR motives and engagement, organizational identification, commitment, and corporate reputation, with a specific focus on employees navigating the complexities of the pandemic landscape. Structural equation modeling was employed and validity and reliability were assessed to ensure robustness. The findings reveal the critical role of employees’ altruistic CSR motives in driving their engagement with their organization’s CSR initiatives, which is essential for enhancing corporate reputation resilience in China. Employees’ engagement with CSR bolsters their commitment to their organization and positively influences their perception of its reputation. The study further underscores how employees’ organizational identification plays a key role in amplifying CSR engagement and reinforcing organizational commitment. These insights offer a distinct contrast to the U.S. context and are particularly valuable for organizations navigating reputation management in China, especially during critical crisis moments. Both theoretical advances and practical recommendations are provided to help strengthen corporate reputational resilience through CSR engagement within China’s unique sociocultural and institutional environment. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).