CSR COMMUNICATION IN MICROBLOGS: MEDIATING EFFECTS OF E-WOM DISPERSION AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION

Abstract

Over the past few years, there has been a growing focus on the impact of microblogging on CSR programmes. This has opened up exciting possibilities for CSR communication, allowing companies to reach a wider audience and engage in meaningful conversations with their consumers. From a consumer behaviour standpoint, CSR communication seeks to achieve market acceptance by engaging consumers. When consumers encounter reviews that are either completely positive or completely negative, they can easily make a definitive purchase decision. However, when the electronic word of mouth (EWOM) for a product is “mixed,” consumers experience uncertainty in their cognitive and behavioural decision-making processes. Examining patterns of uncertainty and investigating the role of EWOM dispersion in influencing consumer satisfaction is important for understanding CSR dissemination in microblogs. This study investigates the effectiveness of interactive CSR communication in microblogs in enhancing consumer involvement. It also investigates the mediating role of different EWOM dispersions on consumer satisfaction. A questionnaire design is employed to collect data. The proposed research hypotheses are based on attribution theory, social identity theory, perceived risk theory, and reciprocity theory. The data collected was analysed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0 to conduct descriptive analysis, reliability and validity tests, experimental manipulation tests, and hypothesis tests. The research indicates that consumer involvement can be enhanced through (1) interactive CSR communication in microblogs and (2) The role of EWOM in facilitating interactive CSR communication and its impact on consumer satisfaction have been observed. Companies can effectively enhance their gains by focusing on presenting different forms of word-of-mouth in microblogs.