Unlocking the Link: How Customer Experience Mediates Corporate Social Responsibility's Impact on Customer Re‐Usage Intentions

This study investigates how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) influences Customer Behavior (CB) in the banking context and examines whether Customer Experience (CX) serves as the mechanism through which CSR translates into positive customer outcomes. Using survey data collected in France, we test the proposed relationships through Structural Equation Modeling, operationalizing Customer Behavior as customer re-usage intentions and modeling CSR and CX as multidimensional constructs. The results indicate that CSR does not have a significant direct effect on re-usage intentions; however, CSR exerts a significant indirect effect on Customer Behavior through Customer Experience, confirming CX as a meaningful mediating pathway. Additional analyses further show that both human-like and technological dimensions of CX transmit the CSR effect, highlighting the relevance of both human and digital touchpoints. These findings suggest that CSR alone may not be sufficient to shape CB outcomes unless it is embedded in the customer journey and reflected in customers' lived service experiences. The study offers important managerial implications by emphasizing that CSR is more likely to contribute to CB when it is integrated into customer touchpoints.