New research papers shed light on evaluating company values and alleviating tensions in corporate environments

Now more than ever, companies are called upon to address societal issues around poverty, sustainability, and racism. Organizations do this in a number of ways, including making their values and their mission more transparent as well as hiring CSR professionals—like sustainability officers, diversity leaders, and corporate philanthropists—to lead the way.

Now, two studies led by Vontrese Pamphile, an assistant professor of strategic management and public policy at the George Washington University, shed light on how companies can be more authentically valued by their employees and how CSR professionals can alleviate tension and loneliness in the corporate environment.

In the first study, Pamphile and her team found that employees rate companies lower when they feel the company isn't acting on its stated values, as well as when the company's stated values don't align with the employee's own values. Another study found that CSR professionals at Fortune 500 companies often feel lonely and stressed, but building a network of peers outside of their company can relieve tension, brainstorm responses and increase motivation.

"The (Bounded) Role of Stated-Lived Value Congruence and Authenticity in Employee Evaluations of Organizations," was published in Organization Science. "Paradox Peers: A Relational Approach to Navigating a Business–Society Paradox," was published in the Academy of Management Journal.