The impact of CSR on reputation, image, and identification in customer loyalty: the moderating role of customer commitment

This study aims to investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate reputation, corporate image, and customer-company identification, exploring how these factors influence customer satisfaction and loyalty. Based on 380 valid responses, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that CSR has a positive impact on corporate reputation and image by enhancing corporate credibility, brand equity, and fostering favorable customer perceptions, generating intangible relational value through emotional customer connections that strengthen loyalty. CSR also positively affects customer-company identification by fostering a sense of belonging and psychological attachment, reinforcing customers’ relational bonds with the firm. The findings reveal that both corporate reputation and corporate image significantly enhance customer satisfaction. Corporate reputation functions as a long-term relational asset that sustains trust and confidence, whereas corporate image primarily influences short-term evaluative judgments. Customer satisfaction emerges as a key driver of customer loyalty. Moreover, customer commitment moderates the relationships among corporate reputation, corporate image, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. Highly committed customers are more likely to interpret positive reputation and image signals as indicators of relational value, amplifying satisfaction and reinforcing loyalty. These findings advance CSR and relationship marketing research by elucidating the psychological and relational mechanisms through which CSR translates into customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty, offering actionable insights for managers and policymakers in the banking sector.