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Determinants of Consumer Attributions of Corporate Social Responsibility

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An Erratum to this article was published on 18 March 2015

Abstract

Prior research has found attributions to mediate the relationship between the elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and consumer responses to firms; however, the question of what variables determine consumer attributions of CSR remains partially unaddressed. This article analyzes why consumers make attributions of CSR that are either positive (values-driven or strategic motives), or negative (stakeholder-driven or egoistic motives). The results obtained from two empirical studies (n = 197, n = 222) indicate that company–cause fit, corporate ability, and interpersonal trust have a positive influence on the motives that consumers attribute to CSR, whereas corporate hypocrisy has a negative effect. This research contributes to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying impactful consumer judgments and provides guidance for organizations in responding to such evaluations.

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Notes

  1. The questionnaire pretest showed that it was easier for the respondents to position themselves on a 0–10 scale than on a 1–7 scale.

  2. The Iberian lynx is emblematic of endangered species in Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad Economía y Empresa, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Longinos Marín, Pedro J. Cuestas & Sergio Román

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  1. Longinos Marín
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  2. Pedro J. Cuestas
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Correspondence to Longinos Marín.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2606-4.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 3, 4, and 5

Box 1: Experiment with a fictitious ad in a newspaper (high fit and high CA manipulation)

A local chain store specialist in software and hardware opens a new store in a very popular mall, thus becoming one of most important specialist retailers in hardware nationwide

The 26th “Your PC Store” will soon open in your neighborhood. This store is part of the national “Your PC Store” chain and will be the first to open in this metropolitan area. According to the company’s press department, the store will employ at least 86 people and will occupy more than 1,100 square meters

The company was borne from the efforts of two new graduates in 2000, John Holmes and Anthony Stacks. “Your PC Store” is characterized by the personal relationship between the seller and its customers, good prices, and excellent customer service

In May of 2005, “Your PC Store” initiated its expansion plans for the entire national territory, starting in two major cities. As the two main stores proved profitable, John and Anthony decided to convert their company into a franchise. Working with the franchise model, the “Your PC Company” brand can be offered to investors wanting to own a profitable and stable business

“We are fortunate to be starting in the right place at the right time, because our investors accepted our business concept very favorably. In my opinion, the most important plus in our company is that we know our customers’ needs, we know them personally, and we know their preferences, and if there is any problem, we always, always resolve it,” said John

The franchise model allows John and Anthony to access a market of millions of people and transmit the know-how of the company to investors, control the marketing strategy of the franchise, and at the same time transmit the values of the brand and the company. “The business model adopted allows us to control the way our partners are working and not be worried about how the store is going; it also allows us to pass on the values of our company,” affirmed Anthony

“Your PC Store” shows a higher level of product quality, and people trust the way in which the company commercializes its new products, which is why it obtains a higher level of satisfaction than its main competitors. In short, it has an excellent price-quality relationship and a complete service. [High CA Manipulation]

The company is faithful to its main values; one of these is corporate social responsibility. For the last ten years, the company has worked hard to donate personal computers, after repairing them, to orphanages within the cities in which it is located. When a customer needs to repair a computer, they bring it to the nearest “Your PC Store”, where a staff member assesses the problem; if the repair is not economically feasible, the computer is recycled. If it can be repaired afterwards, it is donated to an orphanage in the city. “Your PC Store” pays all repair costs before donating the computer to the orphanage. [High Fit Manipulation]

[Study 2] A recent study published by Corporate Press indicates that consumers believe that people are reliable and will not take advantage of you. In fact, entrusted people will do well in life because they trust them [high interpersonal trust manipulation]. Furthermore, “Your PC Store” has recently appeared in a news release in the local press, which reveals that “Your PC Store” wasn’t honestly involved in corporate social responsibility activities and that the store portrays an unrealistic image. In short, “Your PC Store” does CSR activities to look good but does not actually do what it says [high corporate hypocrisy manipulation]

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Marín, L., Cuestas, P.J. & Román, S. Determinants of Consumer Attributions of Corporate Social Responsibility. J Bus Ethics 138, 247–260 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2578-4

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