How Corporate Social Responsibility Can Buffer the Unfavorable Outcomes of the Brand in Crisis: A Mediation Role of Corporate Hypocrisy and Gratitude in Saudi Arabia

Aims: The paper aims to clarify the conceptual relationship among CSR, corporate hypocrisy, gratitude, satisfaction with corporate COVID19 response, eWOM, and crisis resiliency. It proposes modelling the influence of CSR in the COVID19 pandemic in buffering customers’ negative behavior via the firm being honest and customers being more appreciative. The study aims to expand the domain of CSR in crises by the mediation effect of the psychological mechanisms: corporate hypocrisy and gratitude on satisfaction with corporate COVID19 response. This study also attempts torede fine CSR incrises. Study design: The paper opted for a conceptual paper based on the situational crisis situation ‘SCCT’ theory and the reciprocity cycle of customer gratitude. Results: The paper provides conceptual insights about how CSR can mitigate customers’ negative behavior or increase their positive behaviors. It suggests that the SCCT theory and the reciprocity cycle of customer gratitude can theoretically explicate the relationships among CSR, corporate hypocrisy, gratitude, satisfaction with corporate COVID19 response, eWOM, and crisis resilience. Conclusion: This research presents a theoretical explanation on how CSR can mitigate the negative consequences from firms being hypocritic or expand the positive outcomes from customers’ being more grateful during the COVID19 in Saudi Arabia in the telecommunication industry. This paper explains how CSR can buffer the negative effects of crises. Finally, the authors have redefined CSR in difficult situations.