Evaluating the Mediating Effect of Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility Commitment

This paper uses the social identity theory and the theory of planned behavior to explore factors affecting consumer purchase intentions. Additionally, considering the theory of the extended self, this paper tries to (1) evaluate whether consumers' perception of a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment has a critical effect on their purchase decisions and (2) test that perception's mediating role in consumers' purchase-decision process. CSR can be defined as the voluntary integration of social concerns into business operations and interactions with stakeholders. Self-reported survey data were obtained from 558 customers of mobile phone stores. Study hypotheses were tested using multiple regression and hierarchical regression. This study found that consumer-company identification has a positive effect on purchase intentions, consumer perception of CSR commitment mediates the relationship between consumer-company identification and purchase intentions, and consumer perception of CSR commitment (economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities) has a significant effect on purchase intentions. Social responsibility activity has become a new indicator of consumer satisfaction, and it is also a critical factor in determining consumers' purchase intention. Therefore, the integration of CSR and marketing strategies is indispensable for maintaining and creating competitive advantages. This paper aims to identify determinants of purchase intentions and the role that CSR plays in consumers' purchase-decision process. The results of this paper can be a reference for businesses in devising business strategies based on consumer needs.