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Sustainability Claims and Perceived Product Quality: The Moderating Role of Brand CSR

Author

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  • Jenny van Doorn

    (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Paviljoen 136, P.O. Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Peter C. Verhoef

    (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Paviljoen 136, P.O. Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Hans Risselada

    (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Paviljoen 136, P.O. Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

In this research, we focus on the presumed negative effect of a sustainability claim on product quality. We propose that a brands’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) can reduce this negative effect. We conduct an experiment to test our hypotheses for a newly introduced detergent brand with an ecolabel vs. without one for high and low brand CSR levels. The experiment was conducted among 304 participants. Our results show that the ecolabel of the detergent can indeed trigger quality concerns. These quality concerns are reduced for brands high in CSR. This suggests that a brand’s sustained commitment to sustainability is important in overcoming negative effects of sustainability claims on product quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenny van Doorn & Peter C. Verhoef & Hans Risselada, 2020. "Sustainability Claims and Perceived Product Quality: The Moderating Role of Brand CSR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-8, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:9:p:3711-:d:353748
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Torres, Anna & Bijmolt, Tammo H.A. & Tribó, Josep A. & Verhoef, Peter, 2012. "Generating global brand equity through corporate social responsibility to key stakeholders," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 13-24.
    2. Aaron R. Brough & James E. B. Wilkie & Jingjing Ma & Mathew S. Isaac & David Gal, 2016. "Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(4), pages 567-582.
    3. George E. Newman & Margarita Gorlin & Ravi Dhar, 2014. "When Going Green Backfires: How Firm Intentions Shape the Evaluation of Socially Beneficial Product Enhancements," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(3), pages 823-839.
    4. Klaus Wertenbroch, 1998. "Consumption Self-Control by Rationing Purchase Quantities of Virtue and Vice," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 317-337.
    5. Van Doorn, Jenny & Verhoef, Peter C., 2015. "Drivers of and Barriers to Organic Purchase Behavior," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 436-450.
    6. Jenny Doorn & Marjolijn Onrust & Peter C. Verhoef & Marnix S. Bügel, 2017. "The impact of corporate social responsibility on customer attitudes and retention—the moderating role of brand success indicators," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 607-619, December.
    7. Becker-Olsen, Karen L. & Cudmore, B. Andrew & Hill, Ronald Paul, 2006. "The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 46-53, January.
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    9. Verhoef, Peter C. & van Doorn, Jenny, 2016. "Segmenting Consumers According to Their Purchase of Products with Organic, Fair-Trade, and Health Labels," Journal of Marketing Behavior, now publishers, vol. 2(1), pages 19-37, October.
    10. van Doorn, Jenny & Verhoef, Peter C., 2011. "Willingness to pay for organic products: Differences between virtue and vice foods," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 167-180.
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    Cited by:

    1. Salma Khalil & Ayman Ismail & Seham Ghalwash, 2021. "The Rise of Sustainable Consumerism: Evidence from the Egyptian Generation Z," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-25, December.
    2. van Doorn, Jenny & Risselada, Hans & Verhoef, Peter C., 2021. "Does sustainability sell? The impact of sustainability claims on the success of national brands’ new product introductions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 182-193.
    3. Christoph Bey & Dirk C. Moosmayer, 2023. "Making a Brand Loved Rather Than Sustainable? Cosmopolitanism and Brand Love as Competing Communication Claims," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Remigiusz Gawlik & Dominika Siwiec & Andrzej Pacana, 2024. "Quality–Cost–Environment Assessment of Sustainable Manufacturing of Photovoltaic Panels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Xinhua Zhao & Hui An, 2023. "Research on the Mechanism of Heterogeneous Corporate Environmental Responsibility in Z-Generation Consumers’ Sustainable Purchase Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.

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