5. Discussions
The present study examined consumers’ perceptions of corporate association and consumer citizenship behavior in two industry sectors (foodservice companies and general companies). The study also examined the moderating effects of consumer trust and industry types on consumers’ perceptions of corporate association. Consumers’ perceptions of commercial expertise association and social responsibility association among corporate association had a significant and positive effect on consumer citizenship behavior. These previous results (Kamal, 2014; Rahim et al., 2011; Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001) were supported in the present study. In particular, commercial expertise association was determined to be the most important variable of corporate association affecting consumer citizenship behavior. Most previous studies (Berens et al., 2005; Brown and Dacin, 1997; Kim, 2014; Lee, 2011; Zasuwa, 2011) emphasized that commercial expertise association related to companies’ competence in manufacturing products was the most powerful diagnostic tool used for the evaluation of such companies. As Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) argued, consumers believe that social responsibility activities weaken the corporate intrinsic capacity, and corporate social responsibility activities cannot precede commercial expertise association. Thus, rather commercial expertise association than social responsibility association may have relatively wide effects on consumer behaviors. In addition, the findings showed that consumer trust and industry types had a moderating effect on the causal relationship between corporate association and consumer citizenship behavior. In particular, when consumers’ trust in the relevant company was low, consumers were likely to make decisions depending on the association with the companies’ capabilities. Furthermore, regarding industry type, the influence of commercial expertise association on consumer citizenship behavior was relatively high in the case of foodservice companies compared to companies in other industries. The category of companies, namely food stores and restaurants, was directly related to consumers' health and well-being. Therefore, consumers’ perceptions of the commercial expertise association the relevant company were important.
