Abstract
Background: Corporate social performance (CSP) has been widely researched in the past. However, few empirical studies, especially in the African context, have been conducted. In particular, a highly under-researched topic is the role that corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays in an individual’s actual purchasing behaviour. Objectives: This article examines whether the perception of CSR plays a role in purchasing decisions of South African university students. It adopts Carroll’s CSR definition that comprises economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities. Methods: A mixed-method technique was used to analyse the data obtained from a sample survey ( n = 145) and in-depth interviews ( n = 30) of South African university students. An exploratory factor analysis was performed which revealed that legal, ethical and philanthropic factors influence individual purchasing behaviour. Results: The findings show that companies that fulfil consumer expectations of social responsibility tend to generate positive perceptions of CSP, which lead to actual purchases of goods and services from the company concerned. The findings also show that CSR plays a relatively minor role in individuals’ actual purchasing behaviour, and the other-than-CSP aspects influencing the outcome are explained. Conclusion: The study extends the theoretical understanding of CSR and its role in purchasing decisions of individuals in the African context.
Highlights
The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to receive significant attention in both the academic and corporate fields as evidenced by growing scholarly research on the topic
The findings of this article highlight the influential role of CSR in individual buying behaviour, especially at grassroots level in South African context
Unlike Carroll’s view that economic responsibility is an essential component of CSR, our findings show that individual consumers in South Africa do not perceive the economic activities of a firm as part of CSR and this aspect does not directly affect their purchasing behaviour
Summary
The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to receive significant attention in both the academic and corporate fields as evidenced by growing scholarly research on the topic. Corporate social responsibility recognises the close relationship between a business and society, and as such these relationships must be foregrounded and deftly managed as corporations and stakeholders pursue their respective goals CSR shapes the way business and society relate to each other. Human social behaviour in society requires a degree of give and take to survive in today’s ever-competitive environment. Corporate social performance (CSP) has been widely researched in the past. A highly under-researched topic is the role that corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays in an individual’s actual purchasing behaviour
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