Effects of CSR on the Customers' Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Gratitude, Trust, and Satisfaction

Abstract

The present study aims to develop a more refined understanding of the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and consumers' loyalty by considering the role of consumer gratitude, trust and satisfaction as a mediator of the CSR-consumers' loyalty link. Toward this end, it proposes and tests a model of corporate social responsibility that specifies hypothesized relationships (1) CSR initiatives as independent variables, (2) consumer gratitude, trust and satisfaction as mediating variables, and (3) consumers' loyalty as the dependent variable. Empirical analysis based on the data collected from 374 South Korean consumers confirms the existence of positive and significant effects of CSR initiatives on consumers' loyalty. Similarly, we observed direct, positive and significant effects of CSR actions on consumer gratitude and satisfaction, as well as an indirect impacts on consumer trust. Hereby, those effects are found to mediate the core relationship hypothesized in this research. The study concludes with the main managerial implications, limitations and possibilities for future research.