Justified by ideology: Why conservatives care less about corporate social irresponsibility

Anna Jasinenko, Fabian Christandl and Timo Meynhardt

Journal of Business Research, 2020, vol. 114, issue C, 290-303

Abstract: We examine the cognitive and motivational process underlying the effect of consumers’ conservatism on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions of irresponsible versus responsible companies. Building on political psychology and system justification theory, we identify and test market system justification (MSJ) as a motivated social cognition underlying ideological differences in CSR perceptions and reactions. Using four empirical studies, we find that the relatively high MSJ of conservatives (compared to that of liberals) results in less critical CSR perceptions of irresponsible companies and, thus, in less penalizing reactions. Moreover, we find that conservatism influences CSR perceptions of irresponsible companies more strongly than of responsible companies because MSJ affects only perceptions of market behaviors that threaten notions of fair markets (i.e., low CSR). The results improve predictions of consumers’ perceptions and reactions to responsible and irresponsible companies.

Keywords: System justification; Political ideology; Conservatism; CSR perception; Corporate social responsibility; Fair market ideology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:114:y:2020:i:c:p:290-303

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.006

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