CSR Associations Research Articles

The impact of marketing appeals on consumer willingness to participate in virtual CSR co-creation

PurposeThis study explores how businesses can effectively market functional and emotional benefits through virtual corporate social responsibility co-creation (VCSRC) initiatives. The aim is to enhance customer engagement through these initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe initial phase of this study involved recruiting 185 Chinese university students as participants. These individuals were randomly distributed into four distinct experimental groups, each designed to investigate the influence of varied marketing appeals and common in-group identity (CIGI) on consumer engagement willingness. This phase also sought to elucidate the mediating role of CSR associations in these dynamics. Following this, the second study engaged 570 individuals, recruited through “Credamo,” for a group-based experiment. This subsequent phase was intended to validate the findings of the preliminary study and explore the varying intensities of interaction between different marketing appeals and CIGI, with a particular focus on the dichotomy of independent and interdependent self-construals.FindingsThe study delineates a detailed relationship between consumers' willingness to participate in VCSRC, marketing appeals, and common in-group identity, revealing that strong common in-group identity correlates with a preference for functional appeals, while a weaker in-group identity inclines towards emotional appeals. Notably, interdependent self-construal significantly influences consumer responses, intensifying the interaction between in-group identity and marketing appeal and thereby influencing participation willingness. Moreover, CSR associations emerge as key mediators in this interaction, underscoring their role in enhancing the effectiveness of VCSRC strategies. These insights provide a new understanding of the crucial impact of consumer identity traits on marketing strategy efficacy.Originality/valueThis research stands as a trailblazing endeavor in evaluating the effects of varied advertising appeals under the VCSR paradigm. It probes into the foundational mechanisms, leveraging insights from interaction alignment theory and persuasion theory to elucidate the processes involved.

The influence of remote work communication satisfaction and CSR association on employee alienation and job satisfaction: a moderated-mediation study

PurposeScholars and practitioners have raised concerns that mandatory remote work can lead to feelings of isolation and alienation in employees. Therefore, this study aims to investigate this issue by examining the impact of work communication satisfaction in remote environments on employee alienation and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachSensemaking and social information processing (SIP) theory are used for formulating the hypotheses. To test the hypotheses, primary data were collected from 418 employees working in various Indian organizations and analyzed using AMOS and Hayes' PROCESS macro for SPSS.FindingsThe findings reveal that work communication satisfaction is negatively associated with alienation and positively associated with job satisfaction. Alienation mediated the relationship between work communication satisfaction and job satisfaction. Additionally, employees belonging to organizations with stronger CSR associations reported feeling less alienated than employees of organizations with weaker CSR associations.Practical implicationsOrganizations can improve work communication satisfaction by devising remote communication plans that clarify employee expectations regarding the frequency, purpose and channel of communication. Additionally, organizations should communicate their CSR efforts to employees, particularly during times of crisis, as this can help improve employee impressions of the organization.Originality/valueThe study extends the work on alienation by approaching it from the perspective of sensemaking. The research demonstrates how work and non-work-related social information cues (work communication and CSR associations) can influence employee attitudes through their sensemaking. The context of the study adds to its uniqueness.

A two-path model of the impact of LGBTQ+ diversity CSR levels on public response

Since conflicting opinions and expectations of stakeholders about LGBTQ+ diversity coexist, companies contemplate how far to draw the line of CSR involvement in relation to LGBTQ+ diversity. This study examines how different levels of LGBTQ+ diversity CSR (i.e., proactive, passive, refusal) affect public responses. The proposed model investigates how public perceptions of corporate support for LGBTQ+ diversity (PCSL), influenced by CSR level, affects two dimensions of corporate associations differently (corporate ability and CSR association), and consequently CSR responses (supportive communication intent, purchase intent, and corporate evaluation in this study). The role of perceived value-driven motivation as a mediator was also examined. An online experiment was conducted with two Fortune 500 companies (Dell and Kellogg's). Overall, the results suggest that proactive CSR leads to higher PCS-L and better CSR outcomes among the general public than a passive or refusal approach. PCS-L, directly and indirectly, affects individuals’ CSR associations, which are mediated by value-driven motives. In turn, CSR associations positively influence publics’ supportive communication intent, purchase intent and corporate evaluations. As for CA associations, we found that they had a rather complicated relationship with PCS-L. Specifically, PCS-L had a direct negative effect on CA associations (Dell) or no effect (Kellogg), indicating possible backlash effects. However, higher PSC-L resulted in more favorable perceived motives of the CSR program, driven by the company's moral grounds and corporate values, consequently resulting in greater CA associations (positive indirect impact). Thus, perceived value-driven motives can offset potential backlash effects related to CA associations and corresponding CSR outcomes.

The Awareness of the Indonesian Market Toward the Corporate Social Responsibility of a Company

The existence of CSR institutions and associations coherent with several laws and regulations concerning CSR applied in Indonesia indicates that Indonesia gives more attention to the importance of CSR. The increasing number of parties who appreciate CSR performance also motivates companies to commit to implementing CSR. However, the next question is related to whether the public (market) responds to the efforts of the government, companies, and all parties involved in the progress of CSR in Indonesia or not. Specifically, the question lingers around whether the Indonesian market is aware of the importance of CSR or not. Departing from the two questions, the study aims to determine the response of the Indonesian market after the CSR-related information has been identified since market responses will show awareness of the importance of CSR. The data that have been used in the study are the secondary ones and include the stock prices that come from 5 days before and 5 days after the announcement of the Indonesia Sustainability Reporting Award (ISRA) 2017 and 2018. The hypothesis test results show no differences in stock prices between 5 days before and 5 days after the announcement of the ISRA award. On the contrary, the hypothesis test results show that the Indonesian market has not responded to CSR information of a company. The reason is that the Indonesian market does not consider CSR information relevant for investment decision making.

Influence of Communication Satisfaction and CSR Association on Job Satisfaction & Work Alienation

The Covid-19 pandemic has restricted mobility and made remote working a norm. Many scholars and practitioners have raised concerns that remote working can lead to feelings of isolation and alienation among employees. The study explores this issue by examining the influence of remote communication satisfaction and the organization’s CSR association on employee alienation and job satisfaction. Sensemaking theory serves as the basis for hypotheses formulation in this study. Primary data has been collected from 418 employees working in various Indian organizations and analyzed through AMOS and Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results indicate that remote communication satisfaction negatively influences work alienation, thereby improves employee satisfaction. Also, organizations that are perceived to have higher CSR association experience lesser work alienation than those who have a lower CSR association.This study extends the sensemaking theory by introducing new work-related (internal communication) and non-work-related (CSR associations) cues and explains how employees use them to ‘make sense’ of the organization’s philosophy and continuity. Secondly, this study is a pioneer in exploring the relationship between communication satisfaction and work alienation. The results of this study translate into two significant recommendations for organizations. One, organizations should adopt a proactive communication strategy and provide work-related information to employees expeditiously. Two, since the organization’s CSR involvement and its regular communication to employees bolsters their job satisfaction and reduces the development of negative attitudes (like alienation), organizations must ennunciate their position on CSR issues on a regular basis.

The impact of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumers’ reactions to service failures

PurposeDrawing on the corporate association framework and attribution theory, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the shield effects of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumer attitudes toward a sponsor, attribution patterns in a sponsor’s service failure and repurchase intentions and second, to investigate the halo effect of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on corporate ability (CA) associations and the relationship between CA associations and consequential variables in the context of service failure.Design/methodology/approachA scenario-based two-factor (sponsorship types: baseline vs sport sponsorship vs CSR-linked sport sponsorship × service failure types: flight delay vs cancellation) experimental design was employed.FindingsThe results indicate that CSR-linked sport sponsorship outperforms non-CSR sport sponsorship in forming CSR association and developing CA association. Both CSR and CA associations are found to positively influence the consumer’s attitude toward a service provider. Consumers with positive attitudes attribute the sponsor’s service failure to external factors, leading to repurchase intention after a service failure.Originality/valueThis study connects two fields of research, service failure and sport sponsorship, thereby providing evidence on how CSR-linked sport sponsorship can play a shield role in the context of service failure and whether CSR-linked sport sponsorship can be a proactive strategy for service providers in industries where service failures are inevitable. Additionally, this study provides empirical evidence on whether CSR-linked sponsorship can lead consumers to perceive service quality as “doing right leads to doing well” by creating a halo effect.

Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on consumer brand loyalty

Purpose – This paper analyses the influence of CSR associations on brand loyalty. We propose a theoretical model that includes the mediating role of brand awareness, brand attitude and customer satisfaction in the effect of CSR on loyalty, measured as a second-order reflective construct. Design/methodology/approach – We propose a theoretical model estimated via the analysis of covariance structures using EQS 6.1. Data were obtained using an online survey of 351 Spanish sportswear consumers. Findings – This study illustrates that CSR associations have a direct, positive influence on loyalty, and an indirect influence through their positive effect on brand awareness and consumer satisfaction. Brand attitude does not appear to play a significant role in the influence of CSR on loyalty. Originality/value – We study the effect of CSR associations, brand awareness, satisfaction, and brand attitude as drivers of brand loyalty, conceived as a reflective second-order construct with four dimensions: attitudinal loyalty, purchase intention, expenditure level and intention to recommend. It is important to construct relational marketing strategies that integrate CSR with consumer orientation using the three dimensions of the model validated in the study: brand awareness, satisfaction and brand attitude.

Championing Women’s Empowerment as a Catalyst for Purchase Intentions: Testing the Mediating Roles of OPRs and Brand Loyalty in the Context of Femvertising

ABSTRACT Corporate social responsibility (CSR) research indicates that consumers are skeptical of a company’s support of social causes unless they can determine that the efforts are legitimate and authentic. One way companies can demonstrate legitimacy in their CSR efforts is by supporting causes that are perceived to “fit.” The goal of this study is to explore the effects of company–cause fit within the context of the CSR strategy of femvertising. Femvertising is defined as “advertising that employs pro-female talent, messages, and imagery to empower women and girls.” A survey of U.S. adults (n = 419) was employed to investigate consumer attitude toward femvertising as well as four specific femvertising messages as they related to respondents’ perceptions of company–cause fit, CSR associations, and purchase intentions. This study also examined the mediating roles of two related mechanisms – perceived organization-public relationship quality and company loyalty – in connecting CSR associations and purchase intention. The findings suggest that within a femvertising context, purchase intention is impacted by CSR associations and company–cause fit both directly and through loyalty. The findings clarify how company support of women-empowering causes can be an effective CSR strategy and how it fits with the current strategic communication literature.

Corporate association strategies and consumer responses: The relative effectiveness of CA versus CSR communication strategy by industry type

Given the importance of communication in the realm of corporate associations, this study analyzes the roles that communication strategies play in the formation of corporate associations. The study examines (1) whether particular types of associations (corporate ability or corporate social responsibility associations) can be developed through CA- or CSR-based communication strategies, and (2) the relative effectiveness of these two association types at amplifying favorable consumer responses across three different industries (consumable goods, durable goods, and stigmatized goods). An experiment was conducted to test the proposed model with six Fortune 500 companies. The results demonstrate that communication strategies can effectively facilitate a particular type of association. Differing levels of association effectiveness were found within each industry. For the consumable goods industry, CA associations are found to be more effective than CSR associations. For the durable goods industry, CSR associations are more influential at enhancing consumer attitudes and purchase intent than CA associations, while CA associations have a larger impact on supportive communication intent. In the case of the stigmatized industry, CSR associations play a determinant role in fostering positive consumer responses. This study provides managers and communication specialists with more concrete guidance for choosing a particular corporate positioning and communication strategy.

The Effect of CSR Associations on Corporate Image and the Moderating Role of Fit

CSR 활동의 결과에 영향을 미치는 변수로서 중요하게 다루어지고 있는 적합성(fit)은 한편으로는 적합성과 기업 이미지 간에 정(+)의 인과관계를 주장하는 연구가 제시되고 있는 반면, 적합성이 높을 경우 오히려 기업 이미지에 부정적 반응이 나올 수 있다는 주장 또한 제기되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 CSR 연상이 기업 이미지에 미치는 영향에 대해 살펴보고, 소비자들이 느끼는 CSR 연상이 기업 이미지에 미치는 영향에 있어서 적합성이 조절역할을 하는지, 또한 조절역할을 한다면 구체적으로 어떠한 형태의 조절역할인지를 검증해 보고자 하였으며, 이를 통해 CSR을 통한 기업 이미지 제고 방안으로서 적합성의 역할에 대한 바람직한 전략적 대안을 제시하였다. 연구 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다.BR 첫째, CSR 연상에 대한 탐색적 요인분석 결과, CSR 연상은 4개의 요인으로 분류되었으며, 각각 ‘환경친화’, ‘사회공헌’, ‘소비자보호’, ‘지역 · 문화사업’으로 명명하였다.BR 둘째, CSR 연상이 기업 이미지에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위해 다중회귀분석을 실시한 결과 소비자보호를 제외한 환경친화, 사회공헌, 지역․문화사업의 순으로 기업 이미지에 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으며, 소비자보호의 경우 기업 이미지에 유의한 영향을 미치지 않는 것을 나타났다.BR 셋째, CSR 연상과 기업 이미지 간의 관계에서 적합성의 조절효과에 대한 검증을 위해 조절회귀분석을 실시하였다. 그 결과, 적합성은 환경친화, 사회공헌, 소비자보호, 지역․문화사업의 네 가지 CSR 연상에 대립조절효과를 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 네 가지 CSR 연상과 적합성 각각은 기업 이미지에 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 가지고 있으나, 각 CSR 연상이 적합성과 같이 소비자에게 제시되었을 경우에는 적합성의 영향이 CSR의 영향과 상충하였다. 이는 기업 이미지를 제고하기 위해서는 CSR 활동 시 적합성에 대한 전략적 고려가 필요함을 시사한다.BR 본 연구에서 밝혀진 CSR 연상의 기업 이미지에 대한 영향 및 적합성의 대립조절효과에 대한 검증 결과를 토대로 기업들의 CSR 활동에 대한 전략적 시사점을 제시하였다.

Drivers of Global CSR Integration and Local CSR Responsiveness: Evidence from Chinese MNEs

ABSTRACT:What drives Chinese MNEs’ global CSR integration and local CSR responsiveness? Drawing on institutional theory, we argue that both antecedents reflecting globally isomorphic patterns of adaptation and antecedents mirroring the distinct characteristics of China’s institutional context are relevant. We support our argument using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on a sample of 29 of China’s globally most influential companies. We find that state influence and global CSR associations affect global CSR integration, whereas presence in the West and internationalization through mergers and acquisitions predict local CSR responsiveness. Our study thus suggests that home-country characteristics are an important co-determinant of the CSR approaches of emerging-market MNEs. We further find that multicultural experience in top management teams is associated with both global CSR integration and local CSR responsiveness, supporting notions of transnational CSR.

스토리 유형이 디즈니의 글로벌 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) 연상과 기업 평판에 미치는 영향

스토리 유형이 디즈니의 글로벌 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) 연상과 기업 평판에 미치는 영향

Different Effects of CA and CSR Associations in the Bank Marketing Communications

Different Effects of CA and CSR Associations in the Bank Marketing Communications

CSR by Chinese Multinational Enterprises: Drivers of Global Integration and Local Responsiveness

Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) face increasing tensions over global CSR integration and local CSR responsiveness. Drawing on institutional theory and applying fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, this study explores how 29 of China’s globally most influential MNEs respond to these opposing demands. We find that state influence and membership in global CSR associations affect global CSR integration, whereas presence in the West and internationalization through mergers and acquisitions tend to predict local CSR responsiveness. Further, multicultural experience in top management teams tends to be associated with both dimensions, supporting notions of transnational CSR. Theoretically, our findings suggest a synergetic theoretical perspective in that the CSR strategies of MNEs from emerging markets respond to predefined patterns of isomorphic pressures across institutional environments due to legitimacy reasons but are also affected by the distinctive institutional characteristics of their hom...

Transferring Effects of CSR Strategy on Consumer Responses: The Synergistic Model of Corporate Communication Strategy

This study proposes a synergistic model of corporate communication strategy (corporate ability strategy, corporate social responsibility strategy, and hybrid strategy) on consumer responses and tests the model using 2 Fortune 500 companies (Kellogg and Motorola). The study found that when a company is well-known to consumers as Motorola and Kellogg used in this study, a CSR strategy is more effective in influencing both consumer corporate ability (CAb) and CSR associations and in turn, company/product evaluations. Additionally, consumers tend to automatically assume a company is good at making reliable products when they associate the company with strong CSR, indicating transferring effects of CSR associations onto CAb associations, and onto company/product evaluations. The study results also suggest that the direct influences of CSR associations differ based on industry type. A company that produces high risk involved products such as Motorola, might not experience as strong CSR associations' effects on consumer responses as a company in other industry type like Kellogg.