Understanding CSR from the perspective of Chinese diners: the case of McDonald’s

Abstract

Purpose– The study aims to explore the expectations and perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies among Chinese fast-food diners, and to investigate the relationships among CSR strategies, consumer satisfaction and customer loyalty behaviors. Chinese diners’ knowledge about a real world brand’s CSR activities was also investigated.Design/methodology/approach– Setting the research context on the fast food industry in China and selecting McDonald’s as the subject brand, a survey study was conducted in a Southern Chinese mid-scale city. A convenience sample of 320 was withdrawn, and the data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0.Findings– Results from the study show that the Chinese fast food diners expect restaurant companies to attach more importance to “(product) nutrition and well-being (of customers)” and “environment sustainability” to be considered socially responsible. CSR performance was found to be the most influential factor in the consumers’ loyalty behaviors compared to customer satisfaction with service, product and the total visit experience. The study also found that many of McDonald’s CSR activities were unknown to the Chinese respondents.Originality/value– China is an attractive market to most global companies including fast food chain companies. Understanding Chinese diners’ expectations and perceptions toward companies’ CSR strategies will contribute to the success rate of companies operating in China. In addition, by using a real-world brands as the research context, the study tries to avoid perception bias of respondents due to the different interpretations of CSR in different organizations and industries.