Consumer Trust Influenced by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategies During Crisis: A Study of the Processed Food and Beverage Industry in Vietnam

Consumer Trust Influenced by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategies During Crises: A Study of Processed Food and Beverage Industry in Vietnam Abstract This study focuses on how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be used as a post crisis communication strategy for firms in developing countries such as Vietnam. In recent years, firms around the world have started to recognize that investing in CSR is a very strong and effective strategy to help a firm’s reputation, especially after a crisis. However, using CSR as a business strategy can also backfire if a firm does not know how to utilize it wisely. Recent academic scholarship has focused on how CSR strategy can be implemented most efficiently for firms. Whilst some studies have been undertaken using CSR as a strategy, there has been little focus on how CSR activities’ congruency and records as well as skepticism may impact the result of the strategy. This study, employing a mixed methods research design, fills this gap and investigates how a firm’s CSR strategy can help to offset negative effects of a crisis on consumer trust, while focusing on the roles that CSR congruency (fit) and CSR records (history) plays into strategy effectiveness. This study considers consumer skepticism as a moderating factor between consumer trust and the effectiveness of CSR strategies. The findings suggest a positive relationship between CSR congruency and records.