The Dual Effect of Participation Level on Consumer Participation in Participatory CSR: The Role of CSR Fit and Social Support

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) provides companies with two benefits: creating social value and strengthening consumer relationships. Companies implement various types of CSR to maximize the positive effects of CSR, participatory CSR being one of these types. However, although the number of companies using participatory CSR in practice is increasing, academic interest in the effectiveness of participatory CSR has been insufficient. In particular, prior studies on the consumer perception of the participation level presented in participatory CSR do not show clear results. This study examines the influence of the participation level based on CSR fit and social support. The results of this study indicate that when there is a high CSR fit, consumers perceive the participation level as a benefit. However, when the CSR fit is low, consumers perceive the participation level as a cost. Additionally, the results show that the interactive effect of the participation level and CSR fit occurs only when there is less social support. When there is strong social support, consumers perceive the participation level as a benefit regardless of the CSR fit. Finally, the academic and practical implications of the results of this study are presented.