The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fit and CSR Consistency on Company Evaluation: The Role of CSR Support

With growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR), companies are utilizing it as a public relation (PR) tool for corporate image change. Previous research suggests that the fit between a company and CSR activity is a key determinant of CSR success. They show that, the higher the CSR fit, the more positive the consumers' evaluations are. However, although many companies undertake various CSR activities, there is no research examining the effect of consistency among various CSR activities. In addition, there is a lack of explanation for cases where consumers positively evaluate low CSR fit. In this study, we examine CSR fit, consistency among various CSR activities (CSR consistency), and the degree of consumer support for CSR activities (CSR support). Our multiple regressions show that higher the CSR support, the more positive is the consumer's evaluation of the company. In addition, when CSR support is high, the effect of CSR fit and CSR consistency on company evaluations is insignificant. However, when consumer support for CSR activities is low, company evaluations are positive only when both CSR fit and CSR consistency are high. In addition, the influence of three variables on company evaluation is mediated by CSR motives. Finally, we discuss the implications of this study.