Do social-conscious consumers value third-party sustainability assessment? Contradictory interpretation of corporate sustainability performance communication among self- vs other-oriented consumers

Abstract

Purpose – Based on the concept of corporate sustainability and signaling theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of third-party sustainability assessment on brand attitude and perceived risks among self- and other-oriented consumers. Design/methodology/approach – A quasi-experiment was performed with 126 respondents. Information from three Thai companies representing product, service and hybrid categories was manipulated by the presence or absence of third-party sustainability assessment cues. Brand attitude, perceived risks and consumer orientation were measured as two dependent variables and a moderating variable consecutively. Findings – Across three observed companies, consumers exhibit a higher brand attitude and lower perceived risks when they are exposed to a firm’s third-party sustainability indicators. More interestingly, the effects of third-party sustainability assessment on brand attitude and perceived risks are more salient among consumers with self-oriented, as opposed to other-oriented mindsets. Practical implications – The study findings highlight firms’ opportunities to offer sustainability benefits to a particular target group. Originality/value – Grounded on the signaling theory, the results confirm that third-party assessment performs as effective signals that influence consumer brand attitude and perceived risks. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to reveal that self-oriented consumers display a stronger positive brand attitude and stronger negative perceived risks toward firms that possess third-party assessments.