Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Consumer Responses to Local and Distant Corporate Social Responsibility Activities

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Abstract

This research aims to examine how consumers react to locally-focused or internationally focused CSR programs of apparel companies. Six scenarios were created to manipulate CSR at two levels across three CSR domains. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. The scenario involved shopping for a pair of athletic shoes. College students enrolled in a large public university in the U.S. were invited to participate in this study. Of the 250 collected questionnaires, 205 responses were considered valid and were used in the study. The results of this study showed that for U.S.-based international apparel companies, consumers have more favorable attitudes toward the company and show more positive purchase intentions when the company's CSR activities are conducted in the U.S. This implies that American apparel companies should focus their CSR activities in their home country in order to win American consumers' patronage.

Keywords: American consumers, consumer ethnocentrism, local and distant CSR initiatives

How to Cite:

Tong, X. & Willingham, C., (2020) “Consumer Responses to Local and Distant Corporate Social Responsibility Activities”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.11749