Chapter 8: What’s the ‘Right’ Thing to Do? How Ethical Expectations for CSR Influence Company Support

This study investigated a new concept in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research – publics’ perceived ethical obligation of companies to address CSR, as based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Low- and high-fit CSR programmes are compared, particularly when companies contribute negatively to social issues through their products or processes. Through a mixed-design experiment, findings revealed that participants placed higher expectations for ethical obligation on corporations in high-fit CSR scenarios. Additionally, ethical expectations – when met – influenced participants’ attitudes about and supportive intentions towards the company, supporting prior Theory of Planned Behaviour research at the individual level.