AN ANALYSIS OF THE REASONS ATTRIBUTED BY SPANISH UNDERGRADUATES TO CSR IN ORGANIZATIONS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

摘要

The implications of CSR for consumer behavior have represented a quite common topic in recent literature, main conclusions remarking that, while it is true that socially responsible initiatives may induce some consumer goodwill towards the organization, the effects of CSR are more complex than expected. From this setting, this paper aims to analyze university students’ consumer responses and motives attributed to CSR practices in business settings, just as the usefulness of academic background as segmentation variable. A survey study was conducted from a total sample of 400 Spanish undergraduates. Factor, descriptive and multivariate analysis revealed the coexistence of different CSR dimensions and attributions when defining participants’ consumer behavior, some differences existing between students with different academic background. Implications of the study are discussed.