Consumer Judgements around Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

This thesis explores whether consumers value the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives when judging companies. Across three papers and twelve studies, it examines how the scale and focus of CSR impact influence consumer evaluations and choices. Findings show that while the cost to the company often guides perceptions, consumers do care about social impact. The research highlights the potential for companies to adopt effective altruism principles to maximise societal benefits and consumer appeal.

Date of Award	25 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Yvetta Simonyan (Supervisor), Haiming Hang (Supervisor) & Samuel G. B. Johnson (Supervisor)