Corporate Social Responsibility: Communication Effects, a comparison between investor-owned banks and member-owned banks

Abstract : For companies, communicating about socially responsible activities does not always lead to benefits. This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of the conditions in which such communications are valuable. The authors investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication on purchasing intentions, according to the focal firm’s governance. Mentioning its member-owned business status in a CSR message increases the efficacy of that communication, due to positive general attitudes toward these organizations, and it reinforces the impact of the CSR communication on purchase intentions. For investor-owned businesses, both CSR and quality-based messages induce similar purchase intentions.