Consumer attitudes and marketing strategies: A corporate social responsibility perspective

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Abstract

The focus of this research was to investigate consumer attitudes about CSR (corporate social responsibility) strategies used by organizations, using a non-western perspective. Today every organization intent to go global, raising every organization’s concern with acquiring legitimacy by incorporating their stakeholders’ expectations into their overall business plan. Globalization running parallel with the lack of corporate self-regulation has challenged global businesses to justify their actions in the name of CSR. Understanding consumer perceptions of various CSR initiatives will aid in aligning business behavior with stakeholder expectations, which is vital to ensure the corporation’s long-term survival. The findings of the study indicated that consumers are influenced by CSR platforms, initiatives, and specific marketing strategies. Analysis of the data collected through an online survey provided insight into how businesses may use numerous CSR factors to improve customers’ satisfaction, loyalty and assess consumers’ inclination towards delivering socially desirable answers. The study is grounded within the framework suggested by Carroll (1991) and subsequent modifications provided by Visser (2005, 2008). The outcomes of the study will assist the practitioners, particularly those belonging to emerging economies, in properly strategizing and planning for their business’s future development. A cross-cultural perspective has been provided in the study.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR in Emerging Economies, CSR-Based Marketing Strategies, Cross-Cultural Differences

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — S.S.M.; Methodology — S.C.S.; Validation — S.S.M.; Formal Analysis — S.C.S.; Investigation — S.S.M.; Resources — S.S.M.; Data Curation — S.C.S.; Writing — Original Draft — S.C.S.; Writing — Review & Editing — S.C.S.; Visualization — S.C.S.; Supervision — S.S.M.; Project Administration — S.C.S.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: M14, M31, N35

Received: 14.06.2021
Accepted: 23.08.2021
Published online: 25.08.2021

How to cite this paper: Malla, S. S., & Sharma, S. C. (2021). Consumer attitudes and marketing strategies: A corporate social responsibility perspective. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 5(3), 18–33. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv5i3p2