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The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on perceptions of CSR motives, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward a company.

These effects were tested using a 2 (CA: good vs poor)×2 (CSR: continuous vs one-time) between-subjects experiment. The company with good CA was depicted as a top 20 Fortune 500 company, but in the poor CA condition, it faced disappointing financial outcomes due to the failure of its new product. To manipulate the different levels of CSR, the company’s charitable giving and community involvement was described as a continuous commitment or one-time donation.

Continuous CSR commitment significantly increased consumers’ positive attitudes, purchase intention, and willingness to support an organization. These positive effects become particularly more powerful for a company with poor business performance. Participants attributed more sincere and less image-promotion motives of CSR to a company with poor CA than to that with good CA. For the company with poor CA, both types of CSR motives mediated the relationship between CSR and the outcomes, while only sincere motives served as a mediator for the company with good CA.

The findings suggest the possibility that CSR initiatives pursued by unprofitable companies may be more recognized and appreciated than those by business giants. Thus, a company should maintain its CSR activities as a long-term strategy, especially when the company is not an industry leader.

This research suggests that the mediating role of perceived CSR motives can be contingent upon CA.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the casual role of consumers’ perceptions of brands’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) motives (self-serving vs society-serving) in influencing consumer–brand relationships. Further, the authors explore the roles of brand initiated CSR activities (e.g. CSR co-creation), social media characteristics (e.g. media richness) and consumer’s community identification in shaping the effect of perceived CSR motive on consumer–brand relationship.

A 2 (CSR motives: self-oriented vs society-oriented) × 2 (CSR co-creation: yes vs no) × 2 (media richness: high vs low) between-subjects experimental design is employed.

The results elucidate that when consumers perceive that CSR is for self-serving (vs society-serving) motive, allowing consumers to co-create CSR in a high media-rich virtual platform enhances consumer–brand relationship quality. In addition, the results also support that the interactions of perceived CSR motives, co-creation and media richness enhance consumer–brand relationship through the mediation of community identification.

The current study draws implications for effective CSR co-creation through rich social media platforms, so as to enhance consumer–brand relationship quality via creating community identification.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to optimise corporate social responsibility (CSR) when communicating via social media. In particular, the communication type, cause proximity and CSR motives are addressed facing the increased demand for transparency and the grown consumers' expectations towards socially responsible brands.

Online survey was developed, based on a profound literature review and a field research we did on the actual social media behaviour of socially responsible brands. Consumers attitudes and behavioural reactions in terms of willingness to participate in a campaign, to spread e-WOM and to purchase were investigated, as a function of CSR motives (value vs performance vs value and performance) and cause proximity (national vs international), respectively, with monologue (study 1) and dialogue communication type (study 2).

Cause proximity enhanced the campaign participation, and this effect was pronounced for both, monologue and dialogue type of communication. CSR motives modulated the willingness to spread electronic word-of-mouth, and this holds for both, monologue and dialogue communication. Attitudes and purchase intention were highest when value- and performance-driven motives were communicated, but these effects appeared only when the message was in a dialogue form of communication. Message credibility and CSR motives credibility perception further modulated consumers response.

The outcomes could be used in developing marketing (communication) strategies leading to values and revenues optimisation.

The results are discussed in a framework of how CSR resonates via social media.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how stakeholders perceive the motives behind fast food companies’ public health-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) and general social issue-related CSR initiatives, and their responses toward CSR in terms of supportive communication intent, investment intent, and purchase intent. The authors further examine the impact of perceived CSR motives on intent and whether a healthier chain image has an effect on stakeholder responses.

An online experiment was conducted. This study employed a randomized 2 (CSR type: health-related CSR vs generic social issue-related CSR)×2 (chain image: healthier chain vs general fast-food chain) full factorial design using general stakeholder samples.

For an ordinary fast food restaurant, generic social issue-related CSR programs elicited significantly more positive perceptions of CSR motives, supportive communication intent and investment intent, than public-health related CSR. When a company has a healthier image, stakeholders do not distinguish between CSR types. Stakeholders perceive both CSR types as stemming from mutually beneficial motives and show neutral to slightly positive reactions to both CSR. A positively perceived CSR motive plays a determinant role in anticipating communication, investment, and purchase intents.

This is the first study that examines stakeholder perception of motives behind and responses toward fast food chains’ health-related vs generic social issue-related CSR initiatives, in light of corporate image. The study findings help public relations practitioners, public health professionals, parent groups, and legislators understand stakeholders’ reactions toward CSR initiatives in the fast food industry and help them monitor practices for improvements.

Using a multinational corporation (MNC), Nestlé Ghana Limited (NGL) that operates in a developing economy (Ghana) as a case study, this paper aims to examine the influence of customers’ CSR awareness level and their perception of NGL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) motives on the firm’s non-financial performance (image and reputation).

A quantitative approach, using questionnaires and simple random sampling method, was used to survey 300 customers. Structural equation model-partial least square (SEM-PLS) was used to analyse the data.

The results show that customers’ CSR awareness levels have a positive impact on NGL’s image and reputation. In contrast, the study revealed that customers’ perception of NGL’s CSR motives has a negative impact on NGL’s image and reputation.

NGL should maintain a balance between customers’ perception of its CSR motives and its image and reputation to project the firm’s CSR position as posted in the firm’s create shared value report.

The study is one of the few studies in sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Ghana, about how an MNC’s CSR engagements influence its image and reputation in a developing economy context. It further makes a contribution to CSR literature in Ghana.

This study investigated consumer responses to LGBTQ+ specific diversity CSR, taking into account different levels of CSR engagement and perceived CSR fit. Perceived motives were considered as a mediator in the process.

An online experiment was conducted using real consumer samples (n = 376).

As companies actively demonstrate corporate values to promote LGBTQ+ human rights, consumers recognized that LGBTQ+ diversity CSR was being pursued out of altruistic motives for social good stemming from business ethics and morals. In addition, it was found that the more active the LGBTQ+ diversity CSR practice, the higher the evaluation of the company among consumers. Regarding CSR fit, perceived fit in LGBTQ+ diversity had a significant effect on both the consumer perception of CSR motive and the company evaluation. In addition to these direct impacts of CSR level and CSR fit, these two factors indirectly influenced corporate evaluation through perceived motivation and consequently affected purchase intention.

Despite drastic changes in the legal and social environment related to LGBTQ+ diversity, there are few studies on how consumers will react when companies actively or passively participate in or hesitate and oppose CSR on LGBTQ+ diversity. By presenting empirical evidence of consumer response to LGBTQ+ CSR, this study provided business managers and public relations professionals with the insights they need to make informed decisions about the extent to which they engage in LGBTQ+ diversity CSR.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how corporate reputation interacts with corporate social responsibility (CSR) fit and affects stakeholders’ skeptical attribution (SA) of CSR motives, as well as their attitudes, supportive communication intent and purchase intent. This study proposes that a high-fit CSR program does not necessarily engender more favorable outcomes, nor does it stimulate SA. The study proposes the effects of CSR fit differ by corporate reputation. For bad-reputation companies, low-fit is anticipated to generate more desirable CSR outcomes than high-fit initiatives.

Two experiments were conducted. The first experiment employed a randomized 2 (CSR fit: high fit vs low fit) × 2 (good reputation vs bad reputation) × 2 (Industry: food retailing and insurance) full factorial design to examine the suggested hypotheses. The second study employed a randomized 2 (CSR fit: high fit vs low fit) × 2 (good reputation vs bad reputation) full factorial design with consumer samples to replicate the conceptual relationships among variables in the first study.

While reputation plays a dominant role in influencing stakeholders’ CSR-related responses across both CSR fit situations, a SA partially mediates the relationship between reputation and stakeholder reactions. CSR fit interacts with reputation, and influences the partial mediation process through SA; under a bad reputation condition, low-fit CSR engenders less SA and results in better stakeholder reactions. A similar tendency was found with supportive communication intent and purchase intent. High-fit CSR initiatives by a negative reputation company engendered the weakest supportive intent and purchase intent. For a reputable company, across both CSR fits, respondents displayed generally very positive attitudes toward, greater intent to support, and intent to purchase from the company.

The study findings provide useful and empirically supported logical explanations of why high-fit CSR programs sometimes cause backlash effects, despite the general consensus that such initiatives generate positive outcomes. This study offers an alternative and more relevant perspective to conceptualize the complexity of anticipating CSR outcomes.

This study aims to examine the moderating role of principle-based entity (PBE) of luxury brands and its effect on perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) motives, consumer situational scepticism and brand resonance.

Structural equation modelling using multigroup analysis was used. Data were collected through a consumer panel.

Values-driven motives lowered consumer situational scepticism (CSS) significantly more in PBE than non-PBE. However, egoistic-driven motives increased CSS significantly more in PBE than non-PBE. Stakeholder-driven motives and strategic-driven motives did not elicit CSS, contrary to prior studies in non-luxury brands. PBE status also weakens the relationship between CSS and brand resonance more than non-PBE status.

This study is the first to provide empirical insights into PBE status and its effects on perceived motives, CSS of CSR initiatives and its influence in consumer and management outcomes in luxury brands.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication covered by the news media is considered as more credible and effective in shaping public perceptions toward corporations than CSR shared by corporations themselves. This is particularly true when CSR is about corporations with social stigma inherent in business practices. This study examines the CSR publicity of stigmatized industries from the journalism lens.

A content analysis was conducted with CSR stories from 2019 to 2020 by USA newspapers (n = 348).

Results of this study showed that the overall volume of CSR from stigmatized industries has decreased, with fewer responses to the recent pandemic. Further, the media brought promotional CSR activities and the business motives behind the activities into focus. Opposing patterns were found for CSR of non-stigmatized industries presented with philanthropic activities based on corporations' social motives to help communities. Similarly, economic and legal responsibilities reflected in the CSR pyramid were more prominently reported for stigmatized industries, and ethical and discretionary responsibilities appeared more frequently for non-stigmatized industries.

Integrating business and media literature, this study enriches scholarly discussions on media processes and effects for CSR communication. This study also provides practical implications for stigmatized industries by highlighting more authentic and careful approaches for CSR communication to earn positive publicity.

This study provides social implications by highlighting the importance of CSR communications through the lens of news media when corporations are socially stigmatized.

Stigmatized industries are known to be active in CSR communication to nullify social stigma surrounding themselves. The authors' findings provide empirical evidence suggesting that not all publicity benefits CSR communication for stigmatized corporations.

This study aims to make a distinction between two types of authenticity (indexical vs iconic), the influence of both of which on the consumer’s inference of companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) motivation is determined. Meanwhile, the consumer inference of CSR activities can be affected by the situational context within which the CSR activities are contained. Therefore, the effect of the interaction between the authenticity type and the given social distance (based on the construal level theory) was also examined.

The study conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects design experiment to examine the effects of authenticity type (indexical/iconic) and social distance (close/distant) on the perceived motive of the CSR information in a scenario.

The findings showed significant main effect of authenticity type but no significant main effect of social distance on persuasion knowledge. Participants in the indexical authenticity condition perceived a higher degree of persuasion knowledge than the participants in the iconic authenticity condition. Social distance moderated the effect of authenticity type such that for indexical authenticity, there was a significant difference on persuasion knowledge when the social distance was large. However, for iconic authenticity, the perception of persuasion knowledge was not significantly different between a large distance and a close distance.

The study identified the type of authenticity that is mainly perceived as a result of CSR activities and also determined its relation to the social distance dimension to infer a firm’s CSR motives.