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Purpose This study aims to ascertain the impact of customer perception of CSR activities (philanthropic, environmental and ethical) conducted on various consumer and corporate related dimensions including; customer loyalty, consumer attachment, corporate performance and repurchase intention. The study also adds value by taking customer perception of CSR as a mediator between green image and performance. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling is used after using different (valid and reliable) instruments to measure latent constructs. The study has a sample size of 250 “CSR Consumers”, who had some knowledge and awareness of CSR and green image being advertised and or labelled by the company (such as printing “Recycled” or other eco-friendly images/labels on shopping bag, fliers, outlets, etc.) and are consumers/customers of such firms. The respondent’s awareness was measured by randomly asking them to recall organizations that might have eco-friendly policies. Findings The key findings of the study are that perceived fit of culture along with CSR capability radically influences CSR perception within consumer minds and so, subsequently, customer attachment and overall performance of the corporation. The outcomes bestow significant ramifications for marketing and advertising philosophy combined with practice. Practical implications Stakeholders exist in the form of consumers other than employees. So consumer satisfaction must be imparted its fair share of importance. Managers must make sure that initiatives for societal benefit are well accepted and well recognized by consumers in a positive array of light. Corporations enthusiastically involved in initiating CSR activities and forecast a positive income. The study guides managers into not falling in this misconception and by recognizing that the fact is that the company managers must only expect higher performance levels once their CSR is in synchronization with the firm’s culture. Originality/value A number of studies have been conducted about CSR practices in the Indian context for example (Khan and Atkinson, 1987; Krishna, 1992; Arora and Puranik, 2004; Sood and Arora, 2006; Mishra and Suar, 2010); however, there is dearth of research in its neighbouring country Pakistan about CSR practices and consumer perceptions. Therefore, this research aims to fill this gap by examining CSR practices in Pakistan which has similar historical and colonial roots with India. In doing so, this study ascertains the impact of CSR activities conducted on various consumer and corporate related dimensions that incorporate customer loyalty, consumer attachment and corporate performance.

Purpose In weaker institutions, lack of corporate social responsibility (CSR) constituencies causes organizations to naturally incline toward corporate socially irresponsible actions. Grounded in the institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the nature of corporate social irresponsibility (CSIR) in the weaker institution and its effect on legitimacy and reputation. The presence of corporate ability moderates the impact of CSIR on legitimacy and reputation. Design/methodology/approach A list of manager’s contact information was generated from an online database. In total, 1,500 employees in 560 Pakistani organizations received the self-reported survey. In total, 203 managers working in 110 Pakistani organizations responded with the completed questionnaire that provided empirical support to the hypotheses. Findings Institutional drivers were positively significant to CSIR and negatively associated with the manager’s CSR attitudes. CSIR was negatively significant to legitimacy and reputation. Group differences between high and low corporate ability indicated that corporate ability played a vital role between CSIR and reputation. Practical implications These results have important implications for leaders, business-to-business and human resource (HR) managers in weaker institutions highlighting that organization’s supply chain partners consider adopting CSR practices. This can help the organization avoid undesirable and detrimental impact on its legitimacy and reputation, which are linked to irresponsible behaviors. HR managers should build CSR cognition in employees to bring effective change in the organization. Originality/value Lack of investigation into corporate ability and CSIR has raised questions about the organization’s efforts in the weaker institution that are sensitive to institutionalized corruption. This research adds to the literature by exploring how the organizations develop legitimacy and reputation while still acting irresponsibly in a weaker institution, presenting a paradox.

The global reach of online market allows buyers and sellers to transact without being imprisoned to geographical constraints. However, current research claims that despite of all the advantages, the customers remain unsatisfied from their online purchase experience. This paper focuses on the role of familiarity with online retailing on product uncertainty and retailer’s visibility and its effect on the online customer satisfaction. The data was primarily collected for Olx.com and Alibaba.com . The questionnaire was rotated online to customers who had shopped at the two websites. Customer shopping online were asked to rate the questionnaire on 5 point likert scale. The constructs for Familiarity with online retailing, Logistical support, Product uncertainty, Retailers visibility, Website design, Pricing, Customer service and Online customer satisfaction was included in the questionnaires. A scale of 5 was used where 1 represented strongly agree and 5 was strongly disagree. The analysis of the data includes presentation of the results that were gathered during the research, first general profile of the sample is presented and the measurement model is examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). After the establishment of the validity and reliability of the measures used, the examination of the structural model is performed. The paper supports the argument that familiarity with online retailing reduces the effect of product uncertainty and retailer’s visibility on customer satisfaction. The effects of website design, pricing, and customer service on online customer satisfaction were also incorporated in the model. Additionally, a new dimension of logistical support was also studied to effect satisfaction. The results of this study suggest that more and more people are shifting towards online purchasing. Online customer satisfaction is enhanced when the retailer is more visible to the customer and also when the retailer’s website is more users friendly and carries a lot more information that is required for the customers. The results also suggest that when logistical service is provided to the customers their satisfaction is increased. Quick and efficient delivery system, timely and customer oriented delivery system can enhance the online satisfaction of the customers. The study has implications for managers to understand the online motivations a consumer has while making a purchase.