Kommunikation von Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) auf Internetseiten von Öko-Unternehmen: Wie beurteilen Konsumenten die Glaubwürdigkeit der CSR-Kommunikation?

Summary

Only if consumers perceive organic products as credible, they are willing to pay a price premium. One measure to enhance the credibility of organic products is CSR. So far, there are no studies on how consumers evaluate the credibility of CSR communication of organic companies (OCs). Therefore, 21 think-aloud protocols were conducted, during which respondents searched for CSR information on websites of OCs. The protocols were analysed by qualitative content analysis and examined according to the two factors of credibility: expertise and trustworthiness.
Overall, the evaluation of trustworthiness was more relevant to the consumers compared to the perceived company’s expertise in CSR. Aspects such as knowledge on organic standards of the consumers (forgoing of GMOs) and the provision of precise information on CSR activities influenced trustworthiness. By more specific CSR communication, OCs can increase their credibility, generate customer loyalty and differentiate themselves from conventional companies’ CSR.