The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts on the Moral Behavior of High Self‐Brand Overlap Consumers

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are known to affect firm and societal outcomes, but little is known about their effects on consumer well-being. We address this research gap by investigating whether consumers who have integrated their self-schema with a brand's schema (i.e., high self-brand overlap consumers) vicariously balance their moral behavior against a brand's CSR efforts. Specifically, we propose that a brand's socially responsible behavior can negatively influence the moral behavior of high self-brand overlap consumers (vicarious moral licensing), while a brand's less socially responsible behavior can positively influence the moral behavior of these consumers (vicarious moral cleansing). Further, we do not predict or observe these effects among low selfbrand overlap consumers, given their lack of psychological identification with the CSR brand. Across four experiments, we demonstrate the vicarious moral balancing effect and show process evidence for the potential role of pride (guilt) in driving vicarious moral licensing (cleansing) behaviors. Importantly, we also demonstrate two potential methods to eliminate the vicarious moral licensing effect when firms conduct CSR efforts.

Employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility: Effects on pride, embeddedness, and turnover

“…This underscores the importance of examining perceptions of CSR (Akremi et al., ). The effects of perceptions of CSR on observers’ emotions and behavioral decisions have been documented in other disciplines (e.g., consumer behavior; Chernev & Blair, ; Newman & Brucks, ), although empirical research on those effects on employees is still scant. We extend the current research paradigm by directing researchers’ focus from firms’ objective CSR to employees’ perceptions of CSR.…”

A Framework for the Consumer Psychology of Morality in the Marketplace

“…Consumers have relationships with firms as well as with other consumers, and with society more broadly. As demonstrated in Newman and Brucks (—this issue), the extent to which a consumer is a loyal customer and has developed a brand relationship with a firm should influence how she or he responds to (im)moral behaviors by that firm. Although exchange relationships may be considered most common for consumer–firm transactions, brand relationships may increase the likelihood of consumers making evaluations based on communal norms rather than exchange norms.…”

“…When a consumer likes a specific marketing entity (e.g., a company or brand) that then engages in immoral behavior, the consumer may respond either with “moral rationalization,” reinterpreting the behavior to construe it as more moral, or “moral decoupling,” whereby the consumer separates performance from morality (Bhattacharjee, Berman, & Reed, ). Newman and Brucks (—this issue) consider the impact of a brand's past socially responsible behavior on a consumer's current behavior. Specifically, the authors propose that the extent to which consumers have integrated the brand's schema into their self‐schema (i.e., self‐brand overlap) will influence the effect of the brand's past socially responsible behavior on the consumer's behavior.…”

Together We Rise: How Social Movements Succeed

“…That said, research also shows that CSR efforts can increase donations to a cause or organization (Lichtenstein, Drumwright, & Braig, 2004). Consumers with psychological and emotional connections to a brand experience enhanced positive brand connections when that brand offers public support for a cause that aligns with their values (Newman & Brucks, 2018). However, regardless of the specific reasons why businesses decide to support a movement, when they take such action, they influence public opinion and help ensure the success of the movement.…”