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Abstract
Purpose: This article examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and their impact on consumers' trust and purchase intention. The study focuses on the moderating effects of digital CSR communication and perceived risk in shaping consumer perceptions.
Design/methodology/approach: The non-probabilistic sampling method, specifically both the convenient sampling and snowball sampling methods were applied. Target respondents were individuals aged 18 and above who had purchased from Malaysian fashion retailers. A total of 254 valid responses were collected and analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings: The study shows that CSR has a positive influence on both consumer trust and purchase intention. However, the moderating effects of digital CSR communication and perceived risk on the relationship between CSR and consumer trust were not significant.
Research limitations/implications: The generalizability of the results may be constrained as the current study focused only on consumers who purchase from fashion online retailers and data were solely collected in Malaysia.
Practical implications: This study offers important insights for online retailers and policymakers on utilizing CSR to strengthen consumer relationships and boost sales in the digital age.
Originality/value: The influence of digital CSR communication on Malaysian fashion retailers remains underexplored, particularly in the context of consumer perceptions. This study examines how consumer trust, viewed through the lens of SOR theory, affects purchase intentions.
Keywords: Stimulus Organism Response Theory (SOR), Consumer purchase intention, Consumer trust, Digital CSR communication, Perceived risk, Corporate social responsibility
Classification: Research paper
Introduction
In this era of digital age where consumers are not merely purchasers but conscientious participants in the marketplace, the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumer actions has become an instrumental aspect of corporate strategy and scholarly exploration (Al-Haddad et al., 2022). Investors, local communities, customers, consumers, media, vendors, business partners to employees, are all showing greater concern on the impact of CSR practices on organizations (Deloitte, 2023). Corporations worldwide are increasingly integrating socially responsible initiatives into their business models, aiming to not only fulfill ethical obligations but also to collect beneficial responses from their clients. According to Kucukusta et al. (2019), building a trustworthy relationship with stakeholder are essentials as it assists in obtaining feedback about their existing CSR practices and it was evident when CSR engagement post...