بررسی حمایت مصرف کننده از CSR از منظر مشروعیت اخلاقی Exploring consumer support for CSR from the perspective of moral legitimacy Evidence from Malaysia

Introduction Several firms/brands have a strong consumer following, primarily by reason of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement (Sheth et al., 2010). In this respect, Ben and Jerry’s, The Body Shop and Starbucks are some of the brands that are usually mentioned in academic literature and the popular press. However, such firms appear to be the exception. As in general, consumers’ actual market response to CSR has been poor (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001; Boulstridge and Carrigan, 2000; Claudy et al., 2012; Devinney, 2009). There is an expanding body of literature that seeks to understand this problem and thereafter recommend theoretical and practical solutions (Bray et al., 2011; Eckhardt et al., 2010; Öberseder et al., 2011; Freestone and McGoldrick, 2008). Nevertheless, these research have been predominantly in the context of consumers from the developed world. Although insightful, the findings and recommendations may not necessarily be transferable to consumers in developing countries (Blowfield and Frynas, 2005). In any case, research on CSR and consumers in the developing world, especially pertaining to consumers’ market support, remains largely unexhausted (Jamali and Karam, 2016; Fatma and Rahman, 2015). This raises an urgent need for research that draws on context-specific insights, that may prove useful in understanding CSR and consumer behaviour in developing countries (Jamali and Mirshak, 2006). In view of that, this article aims to contribute to the literature on CSR and consumers in developing countries. Specifically, in identifying the factors that facilitate consumers’ market support for CSR, in transactional and/or relational terms. To that end, this article uses qualitative data from in-depth interviews conducted on consumers in Malaysia – a developing country located in South East Asia. Drawing from organisational legitimacy as its theoretical basis, this study found that there are six factors which serve to facilitate consumer support for CSR from the perspective of moral legitimacy. This article proceeds as follows. First, the relevant literature on CSR and consumer behaviour is presented, and the differences in approach between previous studies and this study are highlighted and discussed. Next, the concept of organisational legitimacy is introduced and discussed. Subsequently, the research method of this study is explained, and thereafter the findings are presented. This is followed by a discussion of the findings and their practical implications. Finally, this article concludes with limitations and avenues for future research.