International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8, Issue-11S, September 2019 274 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: K105309811S19/2019©BEIESP DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.K1053.09811S19 Abstract— The present study revolves around the key theme of importance of social responsibility and to recognize the employees’ viewpoint on the social initiatives taken up by the firm. How do the employees relate to Corporate Social Responsibility (hereafter CSR) in terms of its importance and benefits to self as well as the organization? In this paper the researcher attempts to explore the perspective of managers/executives/administrators across various sectors. Their sentiments towards CSR, especially its benefits and its importance are analyzed. A questionnaire developed by the researcher was administered to capture the responses of the participants. The data sample consisted of 336 managers/executives/administrators from firms based in and around Pune region. The findings depict that effective implementation of CSR initiatives may lead to lowering of attrition levels in the firm. Also, employees believe that fair remuneration would be an ideal indicator of whether an organization is socially responsible or not. Results of the exploratory research draw attention to the inevitability of CSR aiding ethical behaviors amongst employees. Nurturing the importance towards CSR in employees and ensuring relevant benefits to the firm is the need of the hour. This research article has vital inferences for firms and their managers, especially as it relates to the viewpoints of the internal stakeholders towards CSR. Some explanations as well as limited generalizations and implications are developed thereof. Keywords: Employee viewpoint, Social Responsibility, CSR. I. INTRODUCTION In most developing countries like India, other than public sector companies, private sector is one of the largest contributors to Corporate Social Responsibility (hereafter CSR) spending. The earlier notion was that CSR is only philanthropy. Nonetheless, today CSR is a far more multifaceted concept and takes cognizance of not only external stakeholders. CSR has climbed the ladder of the priority list for most companies, especially private sector. The Indian corporate perceives CSR as a cyclical act that benefits the firm as it benefits the world. For instance, educating the rural customer on benefits of banking is in the long run beneficial for the firm itself. The human elements in organizations have gained enormous importance since the 20 th century. Human elements are very difficult to manage and it requires a great deal of expertise on the manager’s part. Research has shown significant correlation between the human elements and firm performance. The Indian Industry has been taking the human element very seriously of late. This element consists of the knowledge, skill, talent of a firm’s workforce, as well Revised Manuscript Received on September 10, 2019. Dr. Naval Lawande, Assistant Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune, Maharashtra, India. (Email: naval.lawande@gmail.com) as the values, attitudes and beliefs of the individuals involved in it. In today’s fast changing world, one of the most critical factors for business success is the intellectual capital the firm holds; most managers would surely agree to this statement. Knowledge is more important than ever before and a major source of competitive advantage. Not only are employees the most decisive resource, they also determine the success of every activity within the organization. Employees are termed as strategic assets of the 21 st century. Just as organizations have changes dramatically in nature over the last 20 years, so have employees’ attitudes towards their employers – and attitudes towards social initiatives is no exception. Employees are increasingly aware of their own values as well as that if the employer. Most of the 21 st century Multinational companies (hereafter MNC) have become larger and more influential than governments of countries they operate in. However, these MNC’s have realized that with this shift of resources necessarily comes a shift in responsibility to positively and proactively impact the community around them. CSR is no more just an expectation; it has evolved to be the right thing to do. Managers and executives have understood that CSR can positively add value to the bottom line and foster sustainability of the business. In view of this, the research tries to answer the following questions:  What does the concept of CSR mean to the employees?  Does the employee give importance to the social initiatives of the firm?  Do employees believe the CSR initiatives will reap any benefits to the firm? II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A firm’s active participation in CSR has a major impact on its employees. Firms that give importance to a CSR initiative do get branded as great employers. The relationship between business and society has been a matter of discussion in entire business diaspora. Businesses are experiencing tremendous pressure from all stakeholders on issues of sustainability, environment and ethicality. The internal stakeholder (viz. employee) is becoming more conscious and expects judicious use of business power held by the corporation and its executives. A. Corporate Social Responsibility Exuding socially responsible behavior has become a modern-day feature of the 21 st century businesses. Importance of Social Responsibility: An Employee Standpoint Naval Lawande