Components and Elements of Consumer Social Responsibility

Abstract

Consumer Social Responsibility (CnSR) is a phenomenon that emerged over the past 40 years and interpreted in several ways by researchers. This paper reviews various perspectives, components, elements and measurement of consumer social responsibility. It suggests that the phenomenon, has received little attention, conceptually and empirically in developing countries. Based on extant literature this review, suggests further, a framework to integrate elements and components proposed by previous authors in the last 10 years with a view to coming out with a model for identifying and evaluating consumer social responsibility. From the proposed framework, six main elements of consumer social responsibility are identified and likely to impact on consumer purchase behaviour. Demographic variables serve as control variables in the proposed framework. Industry can exploit this in a proactive manner to improve upon efforts at targeting ethical consumers and to influence consumer purchase behaviour, with some positive outcomes and implications.

Keywords: Consumer Social Responsibility (CnSR), Socially Responsible Consumption (SRC) behaviour, Consumer Ethics/ Ethical Consumerism, Green Behaviour