THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATERIAL VALUES, CONSUMER CYNICISM AND PRODUCT/SERVICE QUALITY

This paper aims to analyze the mediating role of corporates’ social and environmental responsibility in the relationship between material values, consumer cynicism, and product/ service quality. In the present study, data related to 16 popular clothing brands were gathered by means of a questionnaire filled out by 805 young consumers. Findings revealed that material values encourage positive evaluations of perceived product/ service quality with the mediating role of corporates’ social and environmental responsibility, whereas cynicism leads to negative appraisals of product/ service quality without the mediating role of social and environmental responsibility. This study provides important contributions to the marketing literature because this model has sustained the elaborative understanding of consumer reactions at the product level and at the corporate and industry levels.