THE IMPACT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Creators: name: AGARWAL, GAUTAM
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: Sustainable products play a significant role in influencing consumer behaviour. A prominent role is that influencing consumers? preference for sustainable products requires development of innovative products and analysis of consumption practices. Innovative products with less societal effects can lead the firm to greater business competency, improve its business performance, and ensure it retains its competitive advantages. Several studies have investigated the motives for purchasing socially desirable goods however most studies are based on importance rating survey. Attribute importance rating suffers from social desirability bias and some of the inferences made from this technique depart from actual consumer sentiments. The problem in this research is to address the lack of theoretical framework for examining the factors influencing consumer purchases behavior with regards to socially desirable products. The existing models are insufficient in properly explaining which factors are involved in the purchase decision and which factors are most important. The present study aims to solve this research problem. The aim of this study will be to assess the influence of CSR product features on consumers? behavior. This thesis investigates the marginal willingness to pay for social attributes. In this experimental study, based on Auger et al. (2006), creation of different kinds of products with different levels of functional attributes and social attributes will force consumers to make tradeoffs, allowing measurement of the trade-offs they make. The developed research framework contains 8 potential determinant classified into one of the three contexts: demographic, ethical and functional. This study was conducted through survey research and the sample used was purchased from a marketing company. The empirical data were collected by using self-administered questionnaires and the data analysis was based on 328 consumers in Sweden. The analysis was based on a number of statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, likelihood ratio test, Mc Fadden?s R2, and standard t-statistics. The findings reveal interesting insights into understanding the adoption of ethical products by consumers. The analysis indicates what factors should be given attention. From 8 factors, the analysis indicates that the 4 demographic factors have no influence in the purchase of ethical products. All the functional and ethical attributes are statistically significant for both coffee and jeans (products in the study) and are likely to be a good predictor of willingness to pay. Labour and environment have negative coefficients for both the products studied and suggest positive preference of these attributes. However, environment has a larger negative coefficient than labour for coffee and labour has a larger negative coefficient than environment for jeans. This means that consumers are willing to pay more for environmental attributes than for labour attributes with regards to coffee. With regards to jeans however the willingness to pay is higher for labour attributes than for environmental attributes. Environmental issues of coffee have a more direct impact on the consumer and are more functional than labour attributes and thus more preferable than labour attributes. On the other hand the environmental attributes of jeans do not have a direct impact on the consumer and are less functional. Study implications are acknowledged. A comprehensive research framework is proposed suggesting potential determinant factors involved in examining the adoption of ethical products. This research framework provides a tool to marketing researchers in conducting further research. Empirical investigation offer guidance to governments and corporates, especially those who attempt to encourage the purchase of socially desirable products by consumers. Moreover, the study?s limitations and suggestions for further research are provided.