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This paper aims to examine the effects of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility (iCSR) practices on employees' job satisfaction, with specific focus on work-life balance and safety and health within commercial banks in Lusaka. In this paper, it is also aimed to explore the relative role of these iCSR dimensions in shaping job satisfaction in a developing country context where empirical evidence remains limited. We employed a quantitative research design using structured questionnaires administered to employees across 15 commercial banks. A dataset of 205 employees was collected, of which 146 valid responses were analyzed. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 29, applying descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) work–life balance has a strong and statistically significant positive effect on job satisfaction (r = 0.9268, p < 0.001), accounting for 85.9% of the variance and emerging as the most significant predictor; (ii) safety and health shows a positive correlation (r = 0.926), but is not a statistically significant predictor in multivariate analysis, suggesting it functions as a hygiene factor; and finally (iii) iCSR practices can be differentiated into motivational and baseline factors, contributing to theoretical understanding while providing a Sub-Saharan African perspective. The study offers practical implications, indicating that banks should prioritize work-life balance initiatives while maintaining safety and health standards. It also provides guiding knowledge for policymakers and managers seeking to enhance workplace satisfaction and improve iCSR implementation.

This study investigated the effects of internal Corporate Social Responsibility (iCSR) practices on employee job satisfaction among commercial banks in Lusaka, Zambia. The research examined two key dimensions of iCSR: education & training, and pay & benefits. The investigation was motivated by the need to understand how specific iCSR practices influence employee satisfaction in the Zambian banking context, where limited empirical research has been conducted despite the growing importance of human capital management in competitive banking environments. The study employed a descriptive research design utilizing a quantitative research approach. The study was grounded in the positivist research paradigm. Data was collected from 146 employees across 15 commercial banks operating in Lusaka through digital self-administered structured questionnaires, representing a 71.2% response rate from the target sample of 205 respondents. Stratified sampling technique was employed to ensure representative selection across management levels (senior, middle, and lower management). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 29.0, employing descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05 level. The study revealed exceptionally strong positive relationships between pay & benefits and education & training iCSR dimensions and job satisfaction.  Pay and Benefits had a variance of (r = 0.9271, 85.96%. Education and Training demonstrated strong effects (r = 0.8935, 79.84% variance. A conceptual framework was developed that successfully integrated the two iCRS dimensions and their relationship with job satisfaction