Social Responsibility toward the Employees and Career Development Sustainability during Manufacturing Transformation in China

Abstract

In an era of industrial transformation, manufacturing employees have faced significant threats (e.g., Artificial Intelligence technologies). Against such a backdrop, this study empirically examined the relationship between social responsibility toward the employees (CSRe) and career development sustainability, since non-contractual organizational supports are as important for employees’ career development as those outlined within contracts. We examined relevant issues in the Chinese manufacturing industry by using decision tree analysis coupled with grey relation processing. CSRe was conceptualized by four dimensions: working benefit, working environment, working hours, and training, while career development sustainability was captured from the perspectives of career growth and employability. The results indicated that four factors of social responsibility toward employees were positively associated with career growth and employability under career development sustainability. In addition, the strongest correlation was between training and career growth as well as employability. This study contributes by enriching the current research on corporate social responsibility from the standpoint of employees, and also generates implications for career development sustainability. Studying in a context of timely importance, this paper has practical implications for manufacturers to respond to the human resource dilemma under the impact of new technology, and thus could help employees embark on a long-term career path, which is conducive to socially sustainable development.