Abstract
The focus of this research was to investigate consumer attitudes about CSR (corporate social responsibility) strategies used by organizations, using a non-western perspective. Today every organization intent to go global, raising every organization’s concern with acquiring legitimacy by incorporating their stakeholders’ expectations into their overall business plan. Globalization running parallel with the lack of corporate self-regulation has challenged global businesses to justify their actions in the name of CSR. Understanding consumer perceptions of various CSR initiatives will aid in aligning business behavior with stakeholder expectations, which is vital to ensure the corporation’s long-term survival. The findings of the study indicated that consumers are influenced by CSR platforms, initiatives, and specific marketing strategies. Analysis of the data collected through an online survey provided insight into how businesses may use numerous CSR factors to improve customers’ satisfaction, loyalty and assess consumers’ inclination towards delivering socially desirable answers. The study is grounded within the framework suggested by Carroll (1991) and subsequent modifications provided by Visser (2005, 2008). The outcomes of the study will assist the practitioners, particularly those belonging to emerging economies, in properly strategizing and planning for their business’s future development. A cross-cultural perspective has been provided in the study
Highlights
Consumers are essential stakeholders for corporations for which corporations give importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR) all across the world
The intent of this study is to explore the understanding attitudes of consumers towards sixteen CSR variables comprising of “CSR platforms” (CSR-P), “CSR initiatives” (CSR-I), and “CSR-based marketing divulgence strategies” (CSR-MRS) in India and to assess their inclination to deliver socially desirable answers
For CSR-P, the findings show a strong presence of the CSR paradigm proposed by Visser (2008) for developing economies and supported by Indian consumers
Summary
Consumers are essential stakeholders for corporations for which corporations give importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR) all across the world. The intent of this study is to explore the understanding attitudes of consumers towards sixteen CSR variables comprising of “CSR platforms” (CSR-P), “CSR initiatives” (CSR-I), and “CSR-based marketing divulgence strategies” (CSR-MRS) in India and to assess their inclination to deliver socially desirable answers. Consumer attitudes were assessed using sixteen CSR variables dividing the study into “CSR platforms” (CSR-P), “CSR initiatives” (CSR-I), and “CSR-based marketing divulgence strategies” (CSR-MRS). The six CSR-MRS proposed were assessed taking dependent variable as purchase intention (PI), and Model 5 comprising a mix of strategies 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, was analyzed as best fit model to be used by companies to increase consumers’ willingness to buy its product with Strategy 2 (Mission associated marketing) and Strategy 3 (Corporate societal marketing) capturing the largest share in the pie. This paper presented a study that empirically tested the ordering of Visser’s (2005) CSR pyramid in context to the developing economy, India for the first time
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