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.
