The effect of CSR reputation on consumer preference and the role of individual and societal values

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Across 30 countries, we study whether a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation impacts the evaluations of its brands more among consumers and countries that place a greater importance on life-values reflecting collective welfare, such as universalism and benevolence, than among individually-oriented values such as hedonism, power and achievement (Schwartz, 1992). Using data from 30,000 consumers on 36 brands in 6 categories, we find that this is indeed the case, at both the individual consumer and societal (national values) levels. Implications are drawn for researchers as well as corporate and brand managers seeking to increase the attitudinal impact of their CSR activities. (For more information, please contact: Burcu Tasoluk, Sabanci University, Turkey: tasolukb@sabanciuniv.edu)