Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Advocacy in Business-to-Business Market: The Mediated Moderating Effect of Attribution

Da-Chang Pai, Chi-Shiun Lai, Chih-Jen Chiu, Chin-Fang Yang

Journal of Business Ethics · 2015 · Volume 126 · Issue 4

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1979-5

Abstract

This paper examines how industrial buyers’ attributions of their suppliers’ actions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are related to both the brand advocacy and brand equity. Using a sample of 173 questionnaires gathered in Taiwan, we find that CSR perceptions of industrial buyers are more strongly and positively related to brand advocacy and brand equity when industrial buyers interpret CSR activities of their suppliers as driven more by intrinsic motives and less by extrinsic motives. Furthermore, brand advocacy mediates the interactive effects of CSR and CSR attribution on industrial brand equity.

Keywords

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), Attribution, Brand advocacy, Industrial brand equity

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