Corporate association as antecedents of consumer behaviors: The dynamics of trust within and between industries

This study aimed to clarify the effects of consumers’ corporate association (commercial expertise association and social responsibility association) on consumer citizenship behavior. In addition, the study examines the moderating effects of consumer trust and industry type on consumers’ perceptions of corporate association. The sample consisted of 633 consumers in South Korea. The results showed that the consumers’ perceptions of corporate association had a significant and positive effect on consumer citizenship behavior. In particular, commercial expertise association had a greater effect than social responsibility association. In addition, the moderating effects of consumer trust and industry type in the causal relationship between corporate association and consumer citizenship behavior were verified. The results revealed no moderating effect on the path between social responsibility association and consumer citizenship behavior. However, according to consumer trust and industry type, a significant moderating effect was found on the relationship between commercial expertise association and consumer citizenship behavior.