Personal social responsibility: measurement, dimensions and relations with corporate social responsibility

RESUMEN CASTELLANO Objetivos: El objetivo de esta tesis doctoral es el desarrollo de un nuevo constructo de Responsabilidad Social Personal (PSR), para medir el comportamiento responsable de los individuos en los ambitos economico, legal, etico, filantropico y medioambiental de su vida. Ademas, se propone un modelo de comportamiento en el que se establecen que caracteristicas llevan a una persona a ser mas responsable socialmente, y que consecuencias se derivan de este tipo de comportamiento. Metodologia: Para lograr estos objetivos se han llevado a cabo una serie de estudios, que se configuran de la siguiente manera: Capitulo 1. Esquema teorico que introduce el constructo, a partir de la literatura existente en comportamiento del consumidor y la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa, y que concluye con la definicion de PSR. Capitulo 2. Desarrollo y validacion del constructo, basado en su delimitacion y dimensionalidad. Se realiza a traves del Estudio 1, en el que se analizan las primeras etapas del modelo y concluye con un constructo de cinco dimensiones, que incluyen los comportamientos economico, legal, etico, filantropico y medioambiental del individuo. Estas dimensiones estan teoricamente basadas en la literatura de comportamiento del consumidor y empiricamente trasladadas de la RSC de las empresas al comportamiento personal del individuo. Capitulo 3. Analiza la naturaleza de PSR a traves del Estudio 2, que se propone como un indicador formativo, compuesto por las cinco dimensiones establecidas en el Capitulo 2. Para medir su validez externa y nomologica, se incluyen dos antecedentes y dos consecuencias del comportamiento responsable de las personas, a partir de la literatura en comportamiento del consumidor y de RSC. Capitulo 4. Propone un modelo completo de comportamiento, analizado en el Estudio 3, que incluye la validacion del constructo como un indicador formativo compuesto por las dimensiones economica, legal, etica, filantropica y medioambiental del individuo. Se incluyen como antecedentes de la RSP las Filosofias Morales del individuo (a traves de las escalas de Idealismo y Relativismo), el Colectivismo, la Efectividad Percibida por el Consumidor y las Normas Subjetivas. Como consecuencias del comportamiento responsable de la persona se incluyen la Autoestima, las Relaciones Interpersonales y la Satisfaccion con la Vida. Capitulo 5. Incluye una discusion de los hallazgos de la investigacion que concierne a su contribucion a la literatura de comportamiento del consumidor y RSC, su contribucion practica para las empresas y administraciones, asi como se destacan futuras lineas de investigacion. Resultados: Los resultados indican que la RSP se erige como una herramienta de medida solida para evaluar la responsabilidad de la persona en los ambitos economico, legal, etico, filantropico y medioambiental de su vida. Nuestro modelo demuestra que una persona que es mas colectivista, menos relativista, con una mayor efectividad percibida y que esta mas influenciada por las normas subjetivas o sociales sera socialmente mas responsable. Asimismo, demuestra tambien que una persona socialmente mas responsable tendra mejores relaciones interpersonales, una mayor autoestima y estara mas satisfecha con su vida. SUMMARY IN ENGLISH Objectives: The main objective of this dissertation is the development of a new construct of Personal Social Responsibility (PSR), to measure the individual responsible behavior in the economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic and environmental spheres of life. Additionally, we propose a behavioral model that helps to understand which characteristics lead a person to behave in a more socially responsible way, and which consequences derive from this kind of behavior. Methodology: To accomplish these goals, we have developed a series of studies, which are structured as follows: Chapter 1. It includes a theoretical schema to introduce the construct PSR, based on previous literature on consumer behavior and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This chapter concludes with the definition of the construct. Chapter 2. This chapter pursues the development and validation of the construct, focused on its delimitation and dimensionality. We then articulate our conceptual framework that offers propositions regarding the key dimensions of PSR, presenting in the end the Study 1, where we test the first steps of our model. PSR's dimensionality is delimited through five components that include the economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic and environmental behaviors as the dimensions of PSR. These dimensions are theoretically based on the extant literature on consumer behavior and empirically adapted from the organizational to the individual trait through the translation of the CSR's dimensions. Chapter 3. This chapter analyzes the nature of PSR, through the Study 2, which is presented as a formative indicator formed by the five dimensions previously identified in Chapter 2. To test its external and nomological validity, we include two antecedents and two consequences of the responsible behavior of individuals, based on the literature on consumer behavior and CSR. Chapter 4. It proposes a complete model of behavior, developed through the Study 3, that includes the validation of the construct as a formative indicator formed by the economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic and environmental dimensions of the individual behavior. It includes the Moral Philosophies of the person (through the scales of Idealism and Relativism), the Collectivism, the Perceived Consumer Effectiveness and the Subjective Norms as antecedents of PSR. It also includes, as consequences of the responsible behavior of the person, the Self-esteem, the Interpersonal Relationships and the Satisfaction with life. Chapter 5. We conclude this dissertation with a discussion of the findings from the three studies in terms of their theoretical and managerial implications, limitations of the work, as well as an outline of a further research agenda in the area of ethical and responsible consumption behavior. Results: Results indicate that PSR stands as a solid measure of a new personality trait formed by dimensions that refer to five responsibilities: economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic and environmental. Our model also demonstrates that a person who is more collectivist, less relativist, that have a higher perceived consumer effectiveness and that is more influenced by subjective norms will be more socially responsible. In addition, it also proves that a person who is socially responsible will have better interpersonal relationships, higher self-esteem and will be more satisfied with his/her life.