Do Consumers Really Care about Aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility When Developing Attitudes toward a Brand?

Abstract

the present study assesses the relationship between the dimensions of perceived corporate social responsibility (PcsR) and consumer perceptions about a brand. the approach taken herein for PcsR is based on the sustain-centric paradigm. Under this model, PcsR comprises three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental. accordingly, a system of 11 hypotheses embedded in a conceptual framework is proposed and empirically tested. Measurements for the constructs in the hypotheses are assessed using a structured questionnaire with 521 respondents. the participants evaluated the brands of two major companies in Mexico. Path structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses. the results show that, of the three dimensions of PcsR, only economic and social dimensions affect variables related to brand perceptions. the proposed model suggests an explanatory power over attitude toward a brand through firm credibility, brand identification, and perceived functional value. the results imply that consumers disregard firm environmental responsibility when evaluating brands despite growing social efforts attempting to encourage environmental consciousness.

The impact of brand origin and CSR actions on consumer perceptions in retail banking during a crisis

“…This can also be explained by the high proximity of the health and education domains, as donations to hospitals or schools are more related to CSR’s social and economic dimensions. For example, Vera-Martínez et al . (2021) have pointed out that CSR’s economic and social dimensions significantly influence perceived CSR, while consumers may disregard other topics such as environmental responsibilities.…”

“…Besides, various CSR domains can impact consumer–brand relationships differently (Shankar and Yadav, 2020). However, studies that examine the effects of specific CSR actions on consumer perceptions, attitudes, CBBE and supportive communication intent are relatively scarce (Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001; McDonald and Lai, 2011; Staudt et al ., 2014; Vera-Martínez et al ., 2021). Examining the impacts of CSR actions on CSR perceptions and CBBE is beneficial for researchers and marketing managers to understand the drivers of brand equity, the main element of competitive advantage and financial outcomes (Cho and Hwang, 2020) because consumers are among the primary stakeholders of an organization (Dang et al ., 2020) and CSR influences customer commitment in banking (Shah and Khan, 2020).…”

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions in Brand Equity, Brand Credibility, Brand Reputation, and Purchase Intentions

“…Corporate BC also mediates the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation. Vera-Martínez, Alvarado-Herrera, and Curras-Pérez [22] used the sustainability-centric paradigm to explain how perceived CSR affects BC. Zayyad et al [6] confirmed the relationship between CSR and BC, they also suggested that banks that practice CSR for the benefit of their stakeholders, society, and the environment can increase their BC, which ultimately affects patronage intentions positively, including word of mouth and repurchase intentions.…”

Influence of corporate social responsibility and brand attitude on purchase intention

“…Moreover, the result of H2 revealed that PCSR has a significant and positive impact on developing brand attitudes in the retail industry; this supports the previous results of Aydın (2019). Additionally, a study by Vera-Martínez et al (2022) found that both economic and social CSR have a positive effect on attitude towards brands in the retail industry.…”

“…The literature provides strong evidence for the effect of CSR awareness on consumer attitude towards a brand (Vera-Martínez et al, 2022); this operates as a chain of cognition (beliefs) and affect (feelings), leading to Gen Y's purchase intention (Ocass and Choy, 2008). However, CSR awareness of consumers does not necessarily guarantee a positive purchase decision simply because a brand is involved in CSR initiatives; a brand must be genuinely committed to CSR.…”