Differentiating between a genuine environmental strategy and greenwashing: evidence from the cooperative banking sector

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand community commitment. It also aims to explore the moderating effect of greenwashing on the relationship between this community commitment and brand loyalty, brand image and brand authenticity, in the cooperative banking sector. Design/methodology/approach The survey was presented to bank clients with accounts domiciled in Portuguese cooperative banks. A final total of 391 valid responses were obtained. The distribution of questionnaires was performed with the cooperation of 25 customer account managers that invited their customers to fill out the questionnaire and leave it in a box in the agency, with anonymity totally guaranteed. Findings The results allow us to support our hypotheses. We find that perceived CSR positively influences brand community commitment. Additionally, we also observed that brand community commitment has a positive impact on brand loyalty, brand image and brand authenticity, with these effects being more pronounced when greenwashing is at a low level. Finally, we found that brand community commitment mediates the relationship between perceived CSR and the brand-related outcomes. Originality/value Based on the proposed research model, this study adopts a novel approach by investigating the impact of the genuinity of CSR on brand community commitment, introducing the moderating effect of greenwashing on the relationship between this community commitment and brand loyalty, brand image and brand authenticity. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of this research area, providing valuable insights for both theory and practice.