CSR Oriented Towards Internal Social Enhancement: The Case of Cultural and Creative Projects

This study explores how cultural and creative projects in the landscape of CSR initiatives are perceived by primary internal stakeholders (i.e. employees). The analysis employs a qualitative approach, using a single case study and semi-structured interviews. The single case study focuses on cultural and creative projects developed by the companies that participated in the public contest promoted by Parma City of Culture 2020. Our analysis relies on the information gathered from interviews with the employees who were involved in the cultural and creative projects of seven of the winning companies. The findings suggest that employees positively assess their participation in CSR activities based on cultural and creative projects. Specifically, they attribute intrinsic motives to these types of activities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to understand the consequences of cultural and creative projects in a business context.