Corporate social responsibility and consumer motivations: a means-end chain analysis

Purpose Researchers have mostly studied corporate social responsibility (CSR), from a business perspective, coping with CSR decisions as a corporate dilemma. This being the case, this study aims to focus on the emerging practice of CSR by exploring consumers’ perceptions of attributes, benefits and motivational values. Design/methodology/approach With a qualitative means-end chain (MEC) analysis, the authors explore participants’ CSR perceptions and purchase motivations through laddering interviews with 80 consumers from Western European countries. In contrast to traditional research in this area, which focuses separately on the moderating roles of a variety of brand specific attributes and initiatives, they adopt a holistic approach illustrating the pathways to CSR purchases. Findings The MEC analysis revealed five key values that captured the motivational patterns of participants: (1) personal social responsibility, (2) self-worth, (3) accomplishment, (4) social bonding and (5) safety. Originality/value This research provides an integrative understanding of CSR, bringing together drivers that so far have been examined in isolation. Hence, this research represents a more nuanced conceptualization of CSR and one of the first comprehensive attempts to simultaneously analyse multiple components. In addition to the extension of theories of CSR, the findings are equally valuable for practice as it informs CSR strategies that seek to maintain consumer support.