Influencing Behavior Change through Corporate Social Marketing: Evidence from Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT Empirical studies that examine the effectiveness of corporate social marketing (CSM) on behavior lag behind despite its distinctiveness from other corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and social marketing undertaken by governmental and nonprofit agencies. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to empirically examine the impact of the attributes of CSM on behavior change. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 485 commercial drivers who benefited from a behavioral change initiative. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that only two out of the five CSM attributes had a direct and positive impact on behavior change. Only company-cause fit and perceived benefit had a significant influence on behavior. The perceived effort, motive, and removal of barriers have no significant influence on behavior change. These findings indicate that CSM initiatives with high congruence with companies’ operation and initiatives perceived by the target audience as beneficial will effectively influence behavior.