An experimental test of the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumers' purchasing behavior: The mediation role of trust

Technology companies have widely used corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a strategy to attract more consumers. However, little is known about which specific CSR practices work best to shape consumers' purchasing behavior. This study adopts a between-subject lab experiment to investigate the effects of four different kinds of CSR practices on consumers' purchasing behavior and to understand their underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that CSR in the domain of environmental protection is most influential for a high-tech company when it comes to attracting consumers and driving purchasing behavior. Additionally, the results indicate a mediating role of consumers' trust in the CSR purchasing relationship. This study suggests that high-tech companies seeking to maximize sales should consider focusing their CSR practices on the environmental domain and should view consumers' trust as a critical end rather than a means to greater profits.