Customers' quality of life, advocacy and banks' CSR-fit: A cross-validated moderated mediation model

Abstract

Using a novel approach to customers' quality of life research, this study considers quality of life, not as a customer and societal consequence of organizations' CSR activities as it is often considered in consumer studies, but as an antecedent of customers' response to organizations' CSR activities. Focussing on the CSR attribute of fit, this study developed and tested a model that proposes CSR-fit's indirect effect on customers' advocacy through attitudinal loyalty, as moderated by customers' self-perception of quality of life. This relationship is investigated in commercial and microfinance banks, to cross-validate the proposed relationships based on the distinct characteristics of both types of banks. Analysis of data from a Nigerian sample of bank customers reveals that quality of life negatively moderates the relationship between CSR-fit, attitudinal loyalty and advocacy behaviours of commercial bank customers. For microfinance bank customers, the positive moderating effect of quality of life was only marginally significant. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed alongside suggested directions for future studies.