Connecting with global consumers through corporate social responsibility initiatives: A cross-cultural investigation of congruence effects of attribution and communication styles

Abstract This study proposes that consumers' attribution styles influence how they respond to corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages. The current study employs a cross-cultural experiment to examine the interplay of consumer attribution styles and message types on the outcome of CSR communication, and reveals a significant interaction between attribution style and CSR message. Individuals with a dispositional attribution style responded more favorably to evidence-based CSR messages than to belief-based messages, while those with a situational attribution style responded more favorably to belief-based messages than to evidence-based messages. This study extends cross-cultural research into the area of CSR communication and offers practical guidelines for international marketers and corporations on how to communicate their CSR involvement to global consumers.