Communicating strategic CEO activism to promote employee prosocial behaviors: Understanding the mediating role of employee prosocial sensemaking

The purpose of this research is to explore how CEOs effectively communicate their activism so as to encourage employee prosocial behaviors around social issues. An online experimental study with a 2 (narrative vs. non-narrative) x 2 (promotion- vs. prevention-focused messages) between-subjects design was conducted with 913 full-time employees (N=913) in the United States. This study uncovered the underlying role of employee prosocial sensemaking, which mediates the effect of narrative messaging in CEO activism communication on employee prosocial behaviors (e.g., employee activism supporting the issue and advocacy for the CEO’s activism). This study theoretically extends the scholarship on strategic communication to CEO activism communication in relation to employee prosocial behaviors. The findings also provide practical insight into how corporate leaders can strategically communicate their activism to employees in order to foster positive engagement, thereby contributing to organizational effectiveness as well as the expansion of responsible business practices. •This study examines effective communication for CEO activism among employees.•CEO’s narrative messaging indirectly leads to employee support and advocacy.•Authenticity and prosocial identification in CEO activism can reduce backlashes.