The Effect of the Perceived Corporate Fit on Loyalty:The Mediating Roles of the Corporate Social Responsibility Perception

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국마케팅과학회
· 수록지 정보 : Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science(마케팅과학연구) / 21권 / 1호 / 32 ~ 44페이지
· 저자명 : Eun Mi Lee, 박성연, Jae H. Pae

초록

With the changes in the economic and social environment of companies, the dimensions of corporate responsibility have been greatly expanded. Now, firms should operate not only for their own profit but also for social welfare. Recently CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) has been studied as an important construct in academia and highlighted as a pressing item on the practical corporate agenda (Covin, 2001; Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001). As consumers have been lately more interested in CSR, CSR activities are recognized as a sort of investment for higher company values, so that strategic CSR activities become more critical (Dean, 2003).
In order to conduct CSR activities more effectively, it is necessary to examine ways to persuade consumers to pay attention to CSR activities. That is, this study examines the factors that affect consumer perception of CSR activities. Most previous studies consider only dimensions of perceived fit with a corporation’s core business and there is little empirical research focused on dimensions of perceived fit with corporate image even though corporate image plays an important role in both attracting and retaining customers (Andreassen and Lindestad, 1998). To overcome this limitation, this study considers the congruence of CSR activities from both the corporate image and the corporation’s core business.
Also, when a company performs CSR activities related to that company, consumers perceive CSR activities more positively, and if consumers perceive CSR activities more favorably, they tend to prefer, put credence in, and remain loyal to that company. Therefore, this study examines the processes by which perceived corporate fit influences corporate credibility and consumer loyalty through a mediating variable of consumer perception of CSR activities.
This study was conducted with a sample of 620 consumers aged 18 or older in Seoul, Korea. A total of 562 usable responses were obtained with a 90.6% response rate. The demographic profiles of the respondents are illustrated as follows: The sample consisted of 68.5% female and 31.5% male. In age distribution, 20-25 (36%) and 26-30 (24%) represent the majority of the sample. We adopted measures that had been suggested in the relevant literature and modified them in the context of the current study. Following the two-stage approach of model validation (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988), we tested the measurement validity of each construct appearing in the structural model and estimated the hypothesized model. The overall fit indices reflected a good model fit: CFI=.96, TLI=.96, RMSEA=.06.
As the result, all the hypotheses except Hypothesis 1 are supported. Hypothesis 1 is concerned with the impact of a corporation’s core business fit on the consumer perception of CSR activities. However, the relationship is in the expected direction but statistically not supported (β=.09, t=1.48). Hypothesis 2 posits the impact of corporate image fit on the consumer perception of CSR activities. The result shows a significant impact of corporate image fit (β=.37, t=5.77). When consumers perceive that a corporate image is congruent with or relevant to its CSR activities, they perceive CSR activities as being genuine and favorable. Hypothesis 3 suggests the positive effect of consumer perception of CSR activities on corporate credibility. The result supported hypothesis 3 (β=.60, t=11.33). Hypothesis 4 posits the impact of consumer perception of CSR activities on consumer loyalty, which is statistically supported (β=.30, t=5.48). As consumers perceive CSR activities more positively, it increases consumer loyalty toward the company. Hypothesis 5 proposes the effect of corporate credibility on consumer loyalty. The result shows a significant positive relationship between them (β=.27, t=4.76). Therefore, a company should find ways to increase consumer loyalty by convincing consumers of the company's trustworthiness and honesty.
Our research offers theoretical and managerial implications of CSR activities. First, we argue that perceived corporate fit is a determinant of consumer perception of CSR activities. Managing the perceived corporate fit with CSR activities will eventually increase consumer perceptions of CSR activities and become practical guides for CSR activities. According to the results, if the corporate image fit is congruent with its CSR activities, it derives a favorable consumer perception, while a corporation’s core business fit has no significant impact on the consumer perception of CRS activities. When a company engages in CSR activities in line with the company’s type of business, consumers assume the company is acting out of self-interest. But when a company engages in CSR activities in line with its image, consumers consider its motive as altruistic. Thus, marketers should encourage CSR activities that are consistent with the corporate image.
Second, this research also focuses on consumer perception of CSR activities. This research has focused on a core mediated variable, namely consumer perception of CSR activities, which connects the CSR activities, corporate credibility, and consumer loyalty. Third, it is shown that consumer perception of CSR activities has a positive influence on corporate credibility and consumer loyalty. This confirms the value of acquiring both credibility and loyalty, and suggests that CSR activities have an important role in the relationship management between consumers and companies. It can be worthwhile to differentiate a firm from others in competitive markets by creating a positive corporate image. Finally, this research recommends detailed plans for CSR activities. Companies can generate synergy of social and economic values through clear and accurate directions for CSR activities.

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