TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining consumers’ responses to corporate social responsibility addressing childhood obesity
T2 - The mediating role of attributional judgments
AU - Dumitrescu, Claudia
AU - Hughner, Renee
AU - Shultz, Clifford J.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Food marketers have responded with numerous self-regulatory actions intended to address childhood obesity. While research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) generally provides strong evidence with regard to the economic benefits enjoyed by socially responsible corporations, it is unclear how and why consumers respond to different levels of CSR, especially in the food industry. Our research examines the effects of CSR activities, intended to combat childhood obesity, on consumers’ company evaluations and subsequent purchase intentions, while assessing the mediating role of attributions, in a product-failure setting. Results indicate that a food company's high commitment toward a major social issue may trigger less blame to the food marketer for a product failure, which in turn positively affects consumers’ attitudes toward the company. Our findings offer strong evidence that food corporations can truly do well by doing good.
AB - Food marketers have responded with numerous self-regulatory actions intended to address childhood obesity. While research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) generally provides strong evidence with regard to the economic benefits enjoyed by socially responsible corporations, it is unclear how and why consumers respond to different levels of CSR, especially in the food industry. Our research examines the effects of CSR activities, intended to combat childhood obesity, on consumers’ company evaluations and subsequent purchase intentions, while assessing the mediating role of attributions, in a product-failure setting. Results indicate that a food company's high commitment toward a major social issue may trigger less blame to the food marketer for a product failure, which in turn positively affects consumers’ attitudes toward the company. Our findings offer strong evidence that food corporations can truly do well by doing good.
KW - Attribution of responsibility
KW - Childhood obesity
KW - Company evaluation
KW - Corporate social responsibility
KW - Purchase intention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044161344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85044161344
SN - 0148-2963
VL - 88
SP - 132
EP - 140
JO - Journal of Business Research
JF - Journal of Business Research
ER -