THE ROLE OF CONSUMER IDENTIFICATION WITH THE COMPANY ON THE EFFECTS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ASSOCIATIONS ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1234/RAT2011n11Keywords:
Corporate social responsibility associations, customer identification with the company, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, hotel industryAbstract
This paper examines the mediation effect of customer-company identification (C-C identification) on the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations on customer loyalty. Personal surveys of hotel services were conducted. Specifically, a survey was carried out among consumers of hotels services. First, the study finds that CSR associations has a direct effect on both C-C identification and customer satisfaction as well as an indirect effect on customer loyalty via these two constructs. Second, C-C identification has a direct effect on customer loyalty. This study contributes to the literature by incorporating three different perspectives of customer loyalty ― CSR associations, C-C identification and customer satisfaction― into one general framework that highlights the central role played by C-C identification along the path from CSR associations to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Keywords: Corporate social responsibility associations, customer identification with the company, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, hotel industry
Resumen
Uno de los aspectos más importantes en el campo del marketing del sector hotelero es investigar la lealtad de los consumidores. Igualmente, otra línea de investigación de gran interés se centra en el concepto de responsabilidad social corporativa (RSC) el cual ha sido incluido recientemente en modelos clásicos de lealtad en este sector. Así, este artículo examina el efecto de las asociaciones de responsabilidad social corporativa (RSC) en la lealtad del consumidor en el sector hotelero a través de los efectos mediadores de la identificación del consumidor con la empresa (identificación C-E) y la satisfacción de los consumidores. Para ello, se llevaron a cabo encuestas personales a clientes de establecimientos hoteleros en la comunidad autónoma de Cantabria (España). En primer lugar, los resultados demuestran que las asociaciones de RSC poseen un efecto directo sobre la identificación C-E y la satisfacción de los consumidores, así como un efecto indirecto sobre la lealtad de este colectivo. En segundo lugar, la identificación C-E posee un efecto directo sobre la lealtad de los consumidores. Este estudio contribuye a la literatura académica del sector hotelero al incorporar tres perspectivas diferenciadas a la lealtad de los consumidores –RSC, identificación C-E y satisfacción – en un único marco teórico que señala el papel central que desempeña la identificación C-E en la influencia que poseen las asociaciones de RSC en la satisfacción y lealtad de los consumidores en el sector hotelero.
Palabras clave: responsabilidad social corporativa, identificación del consumidor con la empresa, satisfacción, lealtad, sector hotelero
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