Differences in male and female consumers' perceptions of South African clothing retailers' corporate social responsibility initiatives

Abstract

This study explored gender differences in consumers’ perceptions of South African clothing retailers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives based on the social, environmental and economic dimensions defined by the triple bottom line (TBL) framework. A cross-sectional survey research design with a structured online questionnaire was developed from established scales to gather reliable quantitative data that would enable exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Respondents from diverse demographic backgrounds, aged 18 and older, were recruited via time and cost-effective nonrandom sampling techniques. After splitting the data into gender-specific subsamples, EFA procedures were conducted on both datasets to compare the underlying factor structures. The results showed subtle differences in CSR perceptions: both genders valued quality services, fair pricing, and ethical stakeholder relationships, but had slightly different perceptions of social and environmental contributions. The five-factor structure for males revealed a distinct "Economic Performance" factor, while “Local Sourcing” was unique to the six-factor structure for females. The findings suggest that while both genders share some common priorities, retailers should pay attention to slight gender differences in their CSR efforts, particularly regarding social and environmental contributions. Theoretically, the study contextualises consumers’ CSR perceptions in the local clothing retail sector and provides a gendered perspective, extending current research.