CSR and customer orientation: a sustainable pathway towards competitive advantage? A customer’s perspective

Shahzad Mahmood and Zia Khan

Social Responsibility Journal, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 741-755

Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims to examine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on customer orientation and competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from 368 retail banking customers in Pakistan and analysed using partial least squares-based structural equation modelling. Findings - Firstly, the research findings indicate that CSR has a positive and significant effect on customer orientation. Secondly, CSR and customer orientation were found to be the antecedents of competitive advantage. Practical implications - Managers can use CSR activities strategically to enhance the perceptions of a firm’s customer orientation in their minds. This can then lead towards achieving a competitive advantage over rivals. The trend of being socially responsible, as well as customer-orientated, can lead to a healthy ecosystem within the industry, which in turn will benefit its stakeholders. Originality/value - Firstly, this is one of the pioneering studies that investigate the relationship between CSR and customer orientation. Secondly, it examines the under-explored roles of CSR and customer orientation as antecedents of competitive advantage.

Keywords: Corporate social responsibility; Customer orientation; Competitive advantage; Pakistan; PLS-SEM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:srjpps:srj-04-2020-0139

DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-04-2020-0139

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