Corporate responsibility to race: the impact of corporate commitment and participatory CSR campaigns

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate how corporate commitment and participatory CSR campaign formats influence consumer responses in the context of racial advocacy, using anti-Asian hate as the focal issue. Data for this study were collected online in July 2022 from US adult consumers. Design/methodology/approach The research employs a 3 × 2 factorial experimental design with six stimulus sets (visual CSR social media posts), which varies CSR campaign type (non-participatory, hashtag-sharing and online donation) and level of corporate commitment (advocacy-only versus substantial donation). The study surveyed 502 participants recruited via Prolific and was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board. Findings Results indicate that high-level corporate commitment significantly enhances consumers’ perceived impact, intrinsic motives, campaign attitudes and purchase intentions. Notably, non-participatory campaigns sometimes outperform participatory ones when consumer involvement requires tangible costs, suggesting that robust corporate action is critical to authentic CSR messaging. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by integrating CRR theory and CSA in the specific context of anti-Asian hate, offering empirical insights into how substantial corporate commitment and participatory design interact. Practically, the findings advise managers to lead with action, namely making a substantial monetary commitment before inviting consumers to co-create racial-justice initiatives.