Corporate Social Responsibility and Society 5.0: Assessing Consumer Awareness, Loyalty, and Trust toward Socially Responsible Organizations

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Society 5.0 (s5.0) are transformative models that both seek a human-centric approach by integrating certain capabilities for the betterment of stakeholders. This study investigates the nexus among CSR, brand awareness, customer trust (CrT), the s5.0 model, and customer loyalty (CrL) from the perspective of a developing nation, China. Structural equation modeling using partial least squares was applied to a sample size of eight hundred and ninety-three (N = 893). First, the study confirmed a positive relationship between CSR, brand awareness, and customer loyalty. Second, the study revealed a positive linkage through the mediation of customer trust. Finally, a moderating effect of the s5.0 model was found at the nexus of CSR, brand awareness, and brand loyalty. This study provides several insights into corporate social responsibility, brand awareness, and brand loyalty with additional facts on how customer trust and Society 5.0 may play important roles in engaging stakeholders such as customers in the present era. Therefore, managers should prioritize CSR along with Society 5.0 practices that can help to win over customers and elicit their loyalty and trust toward organizations.