The Missing Link Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Trust: The Case of Fair Trade Products

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Journal of Business Ethics 84 (1):1-15 (2009)
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Abstract

This paper investigates the link between the consumer perception that a company is socially oriented and the consumer intention to buy products marketed by that company. We suggest that this link exists when at least two conditions prevail: (1) the products sold by that company comply with ethical and social requirements; (2) the company has an acknowledged commitment to protect consumer rights and interests. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a survey among the clients of retail chains offering Fair Trade products. The results show that socially oriented companies can successfully leverage their reputation to market products with high symbolic values.

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10.1007/s10551-008-9669-4

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References found in this work

Stakeholder Influence Capacity and the Variability of Financial Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility.Michael L. Barnett - 2005 - Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society 16:287-292.
Fair Trade: Three Key Challenges for Reaching the Mainstream.Anil Hira & Jared Ferrie - 2006 - Journal of Business Ethics 63 (2):107-118.

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