Consumer Response to Proactive and Reactive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contributions in the Environmental and Social Domains

Abstract

Companies deploy proactive strategies to demonstrate their prosocial corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement. Conversely, they may pursue reactive strategies to manage any social or environmental crises created by them. This study investigated the effects of proactive and reactive CSR, the moderating role of CSR domains, and the mediating role of consumer attribution on consumer responses. Using three experimental studies, this research found that proactive CSR leads to positive consumer attributions and favourable consumer responses compared to reactive CSR. Moreover, the CSR domain positively moderates the effects of CSR contribution on consumer responses and consumer attributions where proactive CSR in environmental domain than social domain generates more value- and strategic-driven motives and influence consumers’ favourable behavioural intentions. On the other hand, reactive CSR in the environmental domain diminishes favourable consumer reactions towards the firm and is perceived as less altruistic. Similarly, reactive CSR under social domain engenders egoistic motives. Furthermore, CSR domain moderates the mediation mechanism that indirectly links the CSR contribution and consumer response through consumer attributions. The study also discusses implications for practitioners and directions for future research.