Does company size matter in corporate social responsibility? An examination of the impact of company size and cause proximity fit on consumer response

Abstract

Two experimental studies were carried out to investigate the effect of company size and cause proximity on consumer response to CSR initiatives. Findings from Study 1 demonstrated that, for a large company, the national cause led to more favourable attitudes toward the ad and the company, and a more socially responsible corporate image than the local cause. By comparison, for a small company, the local cause produced more positive attitudes toward the ad and the company, and a more socially conscious corporate image than the national cause. Further delving into the cognitive mechanism of this fit effect, Study 2 investigated the mediating role of message credibility and explored how the mediation varied with consumers’ level of cause involvement. A series of moderated mediation analyses showed that when company size and cause proximity were congruent, participants displayed higher message credibility, which led to more favourable attitudes toward the ad and the company and a better corporate image than in an incongruent condition. This research suggests that company size does matter in consumer response to CSR engagement and offers initial explanations for it. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

Keywords:

• Corporate social responsibility
• fit
• company size
• cause proximity
• message credibility
• cause involvement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yoon Hi Sung

Yoon Hi Sung (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests are primarily in digital/social media, media psychology, and corporate social responsibility.

Rachel Esther Lim

Rachel Esther Lim (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the School of Media and Strategic Communication at the Oklahoma State University. Her research interests include consumer psychology, message effects, and corporate social responsibility.

Wei-Na Lee

Wei-Na Lee (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is F.J. Heyne Centennial Professor Emerita in Communication at the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations, the University of Texas at Austin. Her research aims to understand the role of culture in persuasive communication, with an emphasis on consumer psychology and response to message factors.