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

Abstract

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 perception 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 CSR 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.

摘要

随公司的经济和社会环境的变化，企业社会责任的维度也 大大的护展了。现在，企业不关是为了 自身的利润而运营，同 时也为了社会的福利。近期，CSR (企业社会责任) 在学术界 成为ᅳ个重要的研究构念，在实防的企业活动中也被强谓为迫 切需要解决的问题(Covin, 2001; Sen and Bhattacharya, 200 1). 消费者也越来越关注企业社会责任，企业社会责任活动被 认为是提高企业价值的ᅳ项投资，所以战略企业社会责任活动 变得越来越至关重要了(Dean, 2003).

为了使企业社会责任活动更有效率，我们有必要去研究如何 说服消 费者去关注企业社会责任活动。本研究就是測试影响消 费者的企业社会责任活动感知的因素。 以往的研究大多只关注 企业核心业务的认知契合的维度， 很少有实任研究是关注企业 形象认知契合的维度，尽管企业形象在吸引和保持额客方面都 扮演 重要的角色(Andreassen 和 Lindestad, 1998). 为 了克服 这ᅳ限制，本研究关注企业形象和企业核心业务两个方面的企 业社会责任活动。

当公司开展和企业相关的企业社会责任的活动时，消费者对 企业社会责任活动有更叙极的认知。如果消 费者叙极的感知到 企业社会责任活动，他们会喜欢，信任并对这个公司保持忠 诚。因此，本研究探讨企业契合认知对企业信用度的影响和消 费者对企业社会责任活动认知的媒介作用下的消费者忠誠度的 过程。

本研究的样本是在韩国首尔的年纪为 18 岁 或 18 岁以上的 620 名 消 费者。562 份有效的回答，回答率为 90.6%. 参与者的 人口统计特征如下 ： 本样本包含了 68.5%的女性和 31.5%的男 性。年龄分布上，应答者的年龄主要分布在 20 到 25 岁 (3 6%) 和 26 到 30 岁 (24%) . 我们 采用了 相关文献中 的测量项 目，并根据我们的研究内容傲了修正。在二阶段模型效度验证 之后(Anderson 和 Gerbing, 1988)， 我们测试了 结构模型 中出 现的每个构念的问项效度并测试了假设模型。整体扭合指数反 映了 良好的模型拟合 ： CFI=.96, TLI=.96, RMSEA=.06.

结果表明，出 了来假设 1，其他的假设全部成立。假设 1 是 关注企业核心业务契合对消费者的企业社会活动认知的影响。

然而，这种关系虽然在预期的方向中，可是在统计学上没有得 到支持 (P = .09, t = 1.48) . 假设2 假设企业形象契合对消 费者的企业社会活动认知的影响。结果表明企业形象契合有益 著影响 ((3 = .37, t = 5.77) . 当消费者认识到企业的形象与 他们的企业社会活动ᅳ致或相关时，他们对企业社会责任活动 的感知真实并良好。假设3 是消费者对企业社会责任活动的认 知叙极影响企业的信用度。结果表明假设3 成立 (p = .60, t = 11.33) . 假设 4 假设消 费者对企业社会责任活动的认知对消 费 者忠诚度的影响，同样也是成立的 (P = .30, t = 5.48) . 当 消 费者对企业社会责任活动有叙极的认知时，消 费者对企业的 忠诚度会提高。假设5 是企业信用度对消费者忠誠度的影响。 结果表明这两者之间有显著叙极的关系 (P = .27, t = 4.7 6) . 因此，企业应该设法通过是消费者确信此企业的诚信和 诚实，从而提高消费者忠诚度。

我们的研究提供了有关企业社会责任活动理论和管理方面的 启 示。第ᅳ，我们认为企业契合认知时消费者对企业社会责任 活动认识的 决定因 素。企业和企业社会责任活动 契合的认知的 管理将会逐步提高消费者对企业社会责任活动的认知并成为企 业社会责任活动的实际指导者。根据这个结果，如果企业形象 与 他们 的企业社会责任活动ᅳ致时，会产 生 良好的 消 费者认 知，但是企业的核心业务契合对消 费者的企业社会责任活动认 知没有显著的影响。 当ᅳ个公司按照公司的业务类型开展企业 社会责任活动时，消费者认为 这个公司实质上是为 自己的利 益。但是，当ᅳ个公司根据企业形象开展企业社会责任活动 时，消费者则认为他们的动机是无私的。因此，营销者应该鼓 励 包含企业形 象的企业社会责任活动。

第二，本研究同时还关注消费者对企业社会责任活动的认 知。本研究关注 了 ᅳ个核心媒介变量，也就是消费者对企业社 会责任活动的认知。它联系企业社会责任活动，企业信用度 和消费者忠誠度。第三，消费者的企业社会责任活动认知对企 业信用度和消 费者忠诚度有叙极地影响。这确认了 获得信用和 忠诚度的价值，而브说明了 企业社会责任活动在消费者和公司 之间的关系管理中扮演十分重要的作用。企业通过创造ᅳ个 叙极的企业形象来区別于其他公司是十分值得的。最后，本研 究也推荐了具体的企业社会责任治动计划。公司可以通过企业 社会责任活动清晰和准确的方向，形成社会和经济价值的增效 作用。

Keywords:

• Corporate social responsibility
• Corporate fit
• CSR perception
• Corporate credibility
• Loyalty

夫键於:

• 企业社会责任
• 企业契合
• 企业社会责任认知
• 企 业信用度
• 忠诚度