The effects of corporate social responsibility on brand equity and firm performance

Over the last decade, educators, administrators, and policy makers increasingly focus on corporate social responsibility. However, no studies examine the relationships among corporate social responsibility, brand equity, and firm performance. This study uses quantile regression and structural equation modeling to explore the causal linkages among these factors in Taiwanese high-tech companies over the period 2010-2013. The results of quantile regression analysis show that the economic dimension of corporate social responsibility and the prestige driver of brand equity are positive and significant for all the quantiles. The brand extension driver provides a significant positive effect at the higher quantiles of firm performance. However, the findings indicate a significant negative effect on firm performance for the brand loyalty driver. The findings of structural equation modeling suggest that corporate social responsibility and brand equity positively affect firm performance. This study provides useful insights on brand equity and corporate social responsibility. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.