The Effects of International New Ventures’ Social Responsibility Engagement on Local Customer Loyalty: A Perspective of Relationship Marketing in Emerging Economies

Research addressing international new ventures’ social responsibility activities is scarce. Specifically, researchers have little account for the effects of an international new venture’ssocial responsibility efforts on the outcomes of relationships with local customers in emergingeconomies. Against this background, we attempt to extend the boundaries of an understandingof the effects of international new ventures’ social responsibility engagement on localcustomers’ loyalty through customer trust and customer identification in emerging economies. Based mainly on the stakeholder theory and the relationship marketing theory, our studyconceptualize two facets of international new ventures’ social responsibility efforts: ethicaland philanthropic corporate social responsibility engagement. In addition, we identify positivecustomer relationship-building mechanisms for each facet. Furthermore, our study presents anempirically testable propositions that would explain how international new ventures’ socialresponsibility efforts influence the outcomes of relationships with local customers in emergingeconomies. Finally, this manuscript provides a discussion of the present study’ implicationsfor theory and practice and limitations that naturally lead to future research on internationalnew ventures’ social responsibility activities in developing economies.