Challenging the Status Quo: Organizational Deviations towards Socially Responsible Behaviours in the Age of Digitization

Abstract

Recognizing the increased reliance on and access to digital platforms, we unpack how technology influences socially responsible organizational behaviours and employment practices as related to marginalized populations, such as individuals with a criminal history (e.g., former Canadian federal prisoners). Reviewing the employment of individuals with a criminal history, we discuss the effect of digitization on employment reintegration and consider organizational responses directed towards individuals with a criminal history in the labour market. Drawing from institutional theory and theories of positive deviance we contribute by explaining the mechanisms that each of the three central pillars (i.e., regulative, normative, and cognitive) (Scott, 2008) of institutional theory inform prosocial deviations from prevailing legislation, norms, and processes. The theoretical development suggests that the increasingly digitized world may inform more progressive and inclusive work environments.