scholarly journals Customer Perception of CSR Activities: A Comparative Study of Finnish and Russian Consumers

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxim Potepkin ◽  
Olga Firsanova

Abstract This study estimates the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on customer loyalty based on the data collected during marketing research on consumer behavior in Finnish and Russian markets of dietary supplements. Concretely, the author examines the influence of perceived CSR on customer loyalty taking into account trust factor. A key focus of this work is a comparison of Finnish and Russian customer responses as well as investigation the “country” factor in customer CSR perception and its correlation with consumer loyalty and trust. In general, the findings show similarity of customer reaction to CSR initiatives in both countries. At the same time, the study illustrates some differences in Finnish and Russian customer perception and evaluating CSR level. Regarding practical issues, the author relates arguments for implementation CSR activities as a significant factor of forming customer loyalty in the two countries. The article gives implications for marketing theory and practice.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abir Hichri ◽  
Moez Ltifi

Purpose The study is based on a hybrid model composed of accounting and business data and is amongst the first to test the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance on the financial performance of the company, as well as the impact of financial performance on CSR performance. The bidirectional logic chosen by the study is rarely adopted in the global context and has never been tested in the Swedish context. Moreover, the purpose of this paper is to test the mediating effect of customer loyalty on the company’s CSR performance-financial performance relationship to assess this effect over the long term. This design has been neglected in previous studies. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from a sample of 110 Swedish companies during the period 2009–2019. This study collects the data from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database. A multiple regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Findings The results confirmed the bidirectional relationship between CSR performance and company financial performance. This means that CSR performance positively influences the company’s financial performance. Similarly, financial performance positively influences the company’s CSR performance. Moreover, customer loyalty has a positive and significant mediating effect on the company’s CSR performance-financial performance relationship. Originality/value This study adds several inputs. The first contribution of the research is to test a hybrid model composed of accounting and commercial data. This model is amongst the first to test the impact of CSR performance on the financial performance of the company and the impact of financial performance on CSR performance. The second contribution is the bidirectional logic chosen by the study which is rarely adopted in the global context and has never been tested in the Swedish context. The third contribution is to test the mediating effect of customer loyalty on the company’s CSR performance-financial performance relationship to assess this effect over the long term. This design has been neglected in previous studies. The fourth contribution is the choice of the field of investigation for the reliability of the data used and the generalisation of the results obtained.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Esti Susanti

In recent business competition, marketing managers try to satisfying consumers and building stable-long term relationship between company and consumer. The relationship needs consumer’s trust to company. That is why marketing managers are interested in knowing the impact of trust, loyalty and corporate social responsibility (CSR) toward customer retention (repurchase intention) in order to develop the long term profitability of the company. The long term relationship with consumers results in profitability and also impacts of survival and company development. In other word, trust influences toward loyalty and consumer retention. In the same moment, it is not surprising that academicians and practitioner effort to understand trust, customer loyalty, repurchase intention and CSR. This research examines firstly, influence of customer trust toward customer loyalty. Secondly, the research examines influence of customer loyalty toward repurchase intention. Thirdly, the research examines the role of perceived CSR as a moderating variable on the influence customer trust toward customer loyalty. The packaged-drinking water Aqua is taken as the research context because the Aqua company have donated 10 litter clean water in East Indonesia for each of one litter consumer buying. The result of the research shows that perceived CSR play a strong and positive role of influencing trust toward loyalty. Otherwise, trust influences strongly toward loyalty and loyalty influences strong enough toward repurchase intention. The result is expected to give managerial benefit for Aqua Company and also theoretical development in marketing related to the moderation role of perceived CSR in the influence of trust toward loyalty and repurchase intention.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Glaveli

Purpose This study aims to uncover the underlying multiple intervening mechanisms between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and customer loyalty. Social identity and social exchange theories offer the ground for prediction that the primary outcomes of CSR initiatives are customer–company (C–C) identification and customer trust, which in turn affect customer loyalty. Also, the differential effect of CSR behaviors toward specific stakeholder groups on customer attitudes and behaviors are examined. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 333 customers of telecommunication companies in Greece. Structural equation modeling was used to test the postulated relationships. Findings The findings demonstrate that both C–C identification and customer trust intervene in the relationship between customer perceptions of CSR and customer loyalty; however, the identification mechanism is stronger than the trust mechanism in building customer loyalty while C–C identification seems to drive customer trust. Moreover, out of the three CSR components (customers, employees, and society/environment) that were considered as relevant to customers and were investigated, customer-centric activities were found to be the stronger predictor of both C–C identification and customer trust. Also, CSR toward society/environment was found to positively influence C–C identification. Practical implications The findings of this research can assist practitioners in effectively conceptualizing CSR image from a customers’ point of view and designing their company’s CSR and communication strategies to boost positive customer responses and strong long-term relationships. Originality/value The current study provides further insights into the complex relationship between CSR and customer responses and the impact that different CSR activities may have on customers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yashoda Bhagwat ◽  
Nooshin L. Warren ◽  
Joshua T. Beck ◽  
George F. Watson

Stakeholders have long pressured firms to provide societal benefits in addition to generating shareholder wealth. Such benefits have traditionally come in the form of corporate social responsibility. However, many stakeholders now expect firms to demonstrate their values by expressing public support for or opposition to one side of a partisan sociopolitical issue, a phenomenon the authors call “corporate sociopolitical activism” (CSA). Such activities differ from commonly favored corporate social responsibility and have the potential to both strengthen and sever stakeholder relationships, thus making their impact on firm value uncertain. Using signaling and screening theories, the authors analyze 293 CSA events initiated by 149 firms across 39 industries, and find that, on average, CSA elicits an adverse reaction from investors. Investors evaluate CSA as a signal of a firm’s allocation of resources away from profit-oriented objectives and toward a risky activity with uncertain outcomes. The authors further identify two sets of moderators: (1) CSA’s deviation from key stakeholders’ values and brand image and (2) characteristics of CSA’s resource implementation, which affect investor and customer responses. The findings provide new and important implications for marketing theory and practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Akbari ◽  
Maryam Mehrali ◽  
Nader SeyyedAmiri ◽  
Niloofar Rezaei ◽  
Afsaneh Pourjam

Purpose In the current era, businesses and customers are becoming increasingly concerned with social and environmental issues, and unlike the past, the main focus is not merely on economic growth. As new customers are getting more informed and responsible toward their surroundings, it is necessary for enterprises to act responsibly to attract responsible customers. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand positioning and customer loyalty in travel agencies in Tehran, Iran. Design/methodology/approach Through quota sampling, 86 agencies are selected and a number of 200 customers of those travel agencies are surveyed by means of purposive sampling. Findings The result reveals that CSR has a significant effect on loyalty of customers and brand positioning. In addition, the results indicate that all hypotheses have significant effects except for the C-C identification on customer loyalty. Practical implications Tourism managers should bear in mind that performing CSR activities is not merely a cost burden but a viable strategy for creating competitive advantage. They should adapt their CSR activities to the industry environment. Originality/value The study provides important evidence about CSR and their role in brand positioning and customer loyalty in tourism industry. In addition, the study contributes to the literature by developing the link between CSR and brand positioning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 523
Author(s):  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
Miklas Scholz ◽  
Zia Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Zulqarnain Arshad ◽  
Raja Irfan Sabir ◽  
...  

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is regarded as an effort to be undertaken by the businesses to contribute towards society at large positively. The idea behind the concept of CSR is that businesses are required to pursue the notion of pro-social objectives along with economic objectives. Research has long established that corporate social responsibility, along with its philanthropic nature, can also produce extraordinary marketing results for businesses. The relationship between CSR and consumer loyalty is well acknowledged in extant literature. Likewise, involving consumers through co-creation in the product/service development process may provide an exciting experience to consumers, which is likely to influence their loyalty. With these arguments, the present research investigates the impact of CSR on consumer loyalty with the mediating role of co-creation in the banking sector of an emerging economy such as Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used for data analysis in the present study. The results validate that CSR improves consumer loyalty, and co-creation partially mediates this relationship. The results of the current survey will help banking institutions to identify how they can develop core strategic considerations based on CSR and co-creation.


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