Abstract

This study aimed to explore the moderating effect of consumer awareness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the relationship between perceived CSR and consumer purchase intention. An online self-administered survey questionnaire was distributed to Saudi Arabian general consumers, resulting in 734 responses. The results indicated that philanthropic responsibility was the most prioritized CSR dimension (M = 6.43; SD = 1.04), followed by ethical (6.34; 1.14), legal (6.30; 1.34) and economic (5.28; 1.37). Consumer purchase intention was significantly positively related to philanthropic (β = 0.258, p < 0.001) and ethical CSR (β = 0.173, p < 0.001) but not legal (β = -0.011, p = 0.814) and economic CSR (β = 0.064, p = 0.082). CSR awareness positively moderated the relationship between perceived CSR and consumer purchase intention though this moderating effect was non-significant (β = 0.034, p = 0.332). The results emphasize the value of philanthropic and ethical CSR to Saudi consumers. Practicing these CSR dimensions by companies in Saudi Arabia will attract more customers and improve performance.

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