U.S. Consumer Sensitivity to Corporate Social Performance

Abstract

This study develops a scale to measure consumer sensitivity to corporate social performance (CSCSP) using the factor analysis procedure to generate a valid and reliable 11-item scale. Results from a U.S. sample of M.B.A. students suggest that women are more sensitive to CSP than men and that Democrats are more sensitive to CSP than Republicans. Future research can use this scale to measure the correlation between attitudes toward CSP and actual behavior.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Antil, John A. 1984. "Socially Responsible Consumers: Profile and Implications for Public Policy." Journal of Macromarketing, Fall, 18-39.

Antil, John A. , and Peter D. Bennett . 1979. "Construction and Validation of a Scale to Measure Socially Responsible Consumption Behavior." Pp. 51-68 in Karl H. Henion II and Thomas C. Kinnear (eds.), The Conserver Society. Chicago: The American Market-ing Association.

Carlson, Les , and Sanford Grossbart . 1988. "Parental Style and Consumer Socialization of Children." Journal of Consumer Research 15:77-94.

Carroll, Archie B. 1993. Business & Society: Ethics & Stakeholder Management. 2d ed. Cincinnati: South-Western.

Cohen, Jeffrey , Laurie Pant , and David Sharp . 1993. "A Validation and Extension of a Multidimensional Ethics Scale." Journal of Business Ethics 12:13-26.

Durand, Richard M. , and Zarrel V. Lambert . 1985. "Alienation and Criticisms of Advertis-ing." Journal of Advertising 14:9-14.

Ferber, Robert . 1977. "Research by Convenience." Journal of Consumer Research 4:57-58.

Gildea, Robert L. 1994-1995. "Consumer Survey Confirms Corporate Social Action Affects Buying Decisions." Public Relations Quarterly 39:20-22.

Husted, Bryan , Janelle B. Dozier , J. Timothy McMahon , and Michael W. Kattan . 1997. "The Impact of Cross-National Carriers of Business Ethics on Attitudes About Questionable Practices and Forn of Moral Reasoning." Joural of International Business Studies 27 (2): 391411-391411.

10.

Klein, Gerald D. 1982. "Development of a Cross-Cultural Instrument to Measure the Attitudes of Consumers and Business People Toward Consumerism." Journal of Mar-keting and Public Policy 1:123-137.

11.

Lundstrom, William J. , and L. M. Lamont . 1976. "The Development of a Scale to Measure Consumer Discontent." Journal of Marketing Research 13:373-381.

12.

Lydenberg, Steven D. , and Lloyd Kurtz . 1992. "Researching Social Performance." Pp. 203-224 in Peter D. Kinder , Steven D. Lydenberg , and Amy L. Domini (eds.), The Social Investment Almanac. New York: Henry Holt.

13.

Owen, Crystal L. , and Robert F. Scherer . 1993. "Social Responsibility and Market Share." Review of Business 15:11-16.

14.

Peters, William H. 1972. "Social Responsibility in Marketing Personnel: Meaning and Measurement." Pp. 224-229 in Helmut Becker (ed.), Proceedings ofAmerican Marketing Association Educators'Conference. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

15.

Richins, Marsha L. 1983. "An Analysis of Consumer Interaction Styles in the Marketplace." Journal of Consumer Research 10:73-82.

16.

Rossi, Peter Henry , James D. Wright , and Andy B. Anderson . 1983. Handbook of Survey Research. Orlando, Florida: Academic Press.

17.

Smith, Scott M. , and David S. Alcom . 1991. "Cause Marketing: A New Direction in the Marketing of Corporate Responsibility." Journal of Consumer Marketing 8:19-35.

18.

Sproles, George B. , and Elizabeth L. Kendall . 1986. "A Methodology for Profiling Consum-ers' Decision-Making Styles." Journal of ConsumerAffairs 20:267-279.

19.

Williams, P. F. 1982. "Attitudes Toward the Corporation and the Evaluation of Social Data." Journal of Business Research 10:119-131.

20.

Wood, Donna J. 1994. Business and Society. 2d ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

21.

Zalka, Lori , Meredith Downes , and Karen Paul . 1997. "Measuring Consumer Sensitivity to Corporate Social Performance Across Cultures: Which Consumers Care Most?" Journal of Global Marketing 11:29-48.