Proceedings of The 6th World Conference on Social Sciences
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Towards a sustainable future: Embracing corporate Social Responsibility in Mauritius
Sanjayduth Bhundhoo
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this research was to assess the degree to which Mauritian consumers take corporate social responsibility (CSR) into account when making purchasing decisions. This research can help to provide guidance to firms and producers to embrace the path of CSR so as to meet customers’ expectations. The methodology employed for this research comprised of a mixed-methods using the triangulation approach. That is, the approach applied consisted of using questionnaires survey for selected participants through simple random sampling, followed by structured face-to-face interviews with participants living in various districts of Mauritius, and a focus group discussion with different participants, comprising women, young people, adults, and seniors. The research revealed that the majority of consumers do not consider CSR when making purchases, with price and product quality being the main factors that Mauritian consumers consider while buying. However, the study also showed that younger people and those with higher levels of education are more interested in CSR compare to other groups. The respondents’ limited knowledge of CSR suggests that companies and Government including stakeholders such as NGOs need to educate customers more about CSR initiatives. The study draws three main conclusions: improving the link between CSR and consumer purchasing behavior, corporate communication strategies to inform the public about CSR initiatives, and policies that encourage consumers to adopt sustainable consumption patterns. This study provides valuable insights into CSR and consumer purchasing behavior from the perspective of Mauritian consumers and as a Small Island Developing State.
keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, consumer expectation, purchasing decision, triangulation method, sustainable consumption