The Antecedents and Consequences of CSR Attribution

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral pillar of any successful organisation's activities. However, consumers' scepticism towards firms' CSR has almost become a hostile companion to CSR. Hence, attribution of firms' CSR practices becomes a variable of immense relevance. This study aims to explore and propose a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of consumers' CSR attribution. An exploratory study along with a review of extant literature were conducted to reach the model. The research proposes the following variables as antecedents of CSR attribution: duration of commitment to CSR initiatives, type of CSR initiatives, the approach to CSR communication, the amount of invested resources in CSR, past corporate social performance, and the call for customers' participation. The model further proposes that CSR attribution is going to exert an indirect effect on consumers' positive word of mouth (PWOM), purchase intention, and brand loyalty intentions through brand attachment and trust.