The Relationship of Sustainability Communication on Social Media with Banking Consumers’ Loyalty through e-WOM

Gao Wei, Wang Lin, Wu Yanxiong, Yan Jingdong and Sadik Yusuf Musse
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Gao Wei: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
Wang Lin: Admission Unit, Hankou University, Wuhan 430212, China
Wu Yanxiong: Jiyang College Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji 311800, China
Yan Jingdong: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
Sadik Yusuf Musse: School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Prior literature has largely addressed corporate social responsibility (CSR) from outcomes related to organizational themes. However, its importance for achieving consumer-related outcomes is something that has been largely ignored by contemporary researchers. Likewise, how CSR communication through social media can create positive emotions on the part of consumers has to date been under-explored. Hence, the present study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the impact of CSR communication of an organization through social media on consumer loyalty. The study also proposes electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) as a potential mediator between this relationship. The proposed model of the present study was tested in the banking sector of a developing country. The data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed through the structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The results of the present study validated that CSR communication of a bank through social media directly and indirectly, through e-WOM, influences consumer loyalty in a positive manner. The results of the present study will be helpful for policymakers to better understand how well-planned CSR communication of an organization on social media can lead towards better consumer-related outcomes such as consumer loyalty and e-WOM.

Keywords: sustainability; social media; corporate social responsibility; positive emotion; e-WOM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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