Do corporate social responsibility and safety of food affect reputation? A study of fast-food restaurants industry in Hong Kong

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been seen increasingly used as to gain competitive advantages. It has become especially significant in retailing industry where CSR practices in health, safety and environmental issues are concerned. This research was undertaken to study the customers’ perception of the impact of CSR in fast-food restaurants in Hong Kong. Empirical data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire survey of randomly selected customers leaving randomly selected fast-food restaurants in Hong Kong. 350 completed questionnaires were collected and statistically analyzed by verifying the relationships between the three constructs in this study, they are corporate social responsibility, food health and safety and corporate reputation by using structural equation modeling. The results found that corporate social responsibility has a positive correlation with food health and safety, and both corporate social responsibility and food health and safety are positively related to corporate reputation. The study adds to the relevant body of knowledge both theoretically and practically. It also adds new erudition with regards to food health and safety and its role in the relationships between corporate social responsibility and corporate reputation.