How Consumer Agreement on CSR Affect Purchase Intention through Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing

• In Event: CSR: Interventions in Research and Practice (High-Density)

Abstract

Although scholars explored the HSM in communication studies, little is known about how consumers’ CSR perception influence the CSR information processing, and how different information process strategies can affect consumers’ purchase intentions. To fill the research gap, this paper aims to understand how consumer’s perception about corporate social responsibility can determine their information-processing modes and subsequently affect their purchase intentions. Drawing upon the CSR research as well as studies about information processing, this study tests whether different levels of consumers’ agreement on CSR differ in the information processing modes. Further, this paper explores the moderation effect of consumers’ attribution of company’s motives in engaging CSR in relation to CSR agreement on purchase intention. Finally, study proposes an integrated model to understand the relations among consumers’ agreement on CSR, information processing, purchase intention, and CSR attribution. The theoretical implications and practical contribution to public relations were discussed in detail.

Author

• Wen Zhao, Washington State U