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An experimental test of the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumers' purchasing behavior: The mediation role of trust

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  • Yuan Tian
  • Chiako Hung
  • Peter Frumkin

Abstract

Technology companies have widely used corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a strategy to attract more consumers. However, little is known about which specific CSR practices work best to shape consumers' purchasing behavior. This study adopts a between‐subject lab experiment to investigate the effects of four different kinds of CSR practices on consumers' purchasing behavior and to understand their underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that CSR in the domain of environmental protection is most influential for a high‐tech company when it comes to attracting consumers and driving purchasing behavior. Additionally, the results indicate a mediating role of consumers' trust in the CSR purchasing relationship. This study suggests that high‐tech companies seeking to maximize sales should consider focusing their CSR practices on the environmental domain and should view consumers' trust as a critical end rather than a means to greater profits.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuan Tian & Chiako Hung & Peter Frumkin, 2020. "An experimental test of the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumers' purchasing behavior: The mediation role of trust," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2972-2982, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:27:y:2020:i:6:p:2972-2982
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.2015
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    2. Egle Jakunskiene & Egle Kazlauskiene, 2022. "The Evaluation of Business Tools for Encouraging Social Responsibility in Older Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Tsungjen Shih & Shaojung Sharon Wang, 2021. "Cause-Related Marketing in the Telecom Sector: Understanding the Dynamics among Environmental Values, Cause-Brand Fit, and Product Type," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Yuting Cui & Raphael Lissillour & Juraj Chebeň & Drahoslav Lančarič & Chunlin Duan, 2022. "The position of financial prudence, social influence, and environmental satisfaction in the sustainable consumption behavioural model: Cross‐market intergenerational investigation during the Covid‐19 ," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 996-1020, July.
    5. Haiyang Lu & Keya Zeng & Zhonggen Mao, 2023. "Perceptions of corporate social responsibilities and stakeholder engagement in the context of a disaster: A moderated mediation analysis from the perspective of consumer responses," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 2873-2884, November.

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