Does Consumer Empathy Influence Consumer Responses to Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility? The Dual Mediation of Moral Identity

Abstract

Abstract:The present study examined consumer responses to strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the perspectives of consumer moral emotions (empathy) and cognition (moral identity), and investigated charitable activities conducted by convenience stores in Taiwan from theoretical and practical perspectives. The research method involved a comparison between two actual charitable activities conducted by convenience stores, namely "donation platform services" and "cause-related marketing". A questionnaire was distributed into four regions spanning southern to northern Taiwan by using a convenient sampling method, and 332 valid responses were collected. The present study employed structural equation modelling to verify its hypotheses. In terms of theoretical contributions, the present study constructed two theoretical models and subsequently verified that empathy influences moral identity; this constitutes a major contribution to investigations of the causal relationship between moral emotions and cognitive theory. In practice, the present study recommends that convenience stores implement more cause-related marketing to reduce consumer suspicions that firms are motivated purely by profit and increase consumer trust in firms. Subsequent studies are recommended to conduct in-depth investigations of the underlying causes of moral identity internalization and symbolization generating different responses in consumers, as well as other possible situational variables.

The Effect of CSR Fit and CSR Authenticity on the Brand Attitude

“…Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities not only involve corporate social contributions but also are considered strategic elements of the company's sustainable growth and are recognized as essential for corporate management activities. Consumers also perceive factors related to CSR activities beyond financial performance in evaluating a company, and such factors not only affect their attitude toward products but also their recommendations and purchases [1][2][3]. In addition, corporate CSR activities have played a role in positively shifting consumer awareness in the context of corporate crises [4].…”

Is Distant Extension Always Upset? Neural Evidence of Empathy and Brand Association Affect Distant Extension Evaluation

“…A 2 (empathy level: high, low) × 2 (brand association: corporate social responsibility and corporate competence) between-subjects design was conducted in the experiment. For the empathy level measurement, the present study referenced Lee (2016) and Yen and Yang (2018) to design a 7-point Likert scale containing six items. To ensure the effectiveness of the scale, we followed the cross-cultural adaptation procedure (Beaton et al, 2000).…”

The Impact of Sustainability Awareness and Moral Values on Environmental Laws

“…Many legal systems embody the enforcement of ethical and moral values; hence, the purpose of law may sometimes be confused with morals [23]. Individuals may consider themselves to have high moral identity internalization and devote efforts to follow and exhibit moral behavior [24] rather than law. However, another school of thought distinguishes law and morals as two separate issues.…”