Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on consumer's buying behaviour. A study on selected Mobile phone operators in Bhubaneswar city

CSR is by no means a new idea, more companies than ever before are backing CSR initiatives such as corporate philanthropy, cause-related marketing, minority support programs, socially responsible employment, manufacturing practices and they are doing so with real financial and marketing muscle. The web sites of more than 80% of the fortune 500 companies address CSR issues, reflecting the pervasive belief among business leaders that in today's marketplace. CSR is not only an ethical/ideological imperative, but also an economic one. This growth shows that CSR proliferates on the board room agenda across many sectors and thus proves that modern corporations understand the need to give to their business a more holistic sense in order to ensure their viability. This paper starts with an introduction to the term of CSR presenting the main notions that have accompanied CSR through the years of its evolution. Thereafter, we present the literature review based on international studies on how CSR policies influence the consumers. In addition, we present some evidence based on empirical research that we conducted in the Utkal University as part of my Ph. D course; showing the extent that CSR initiatives of the Indian mobile phone operators influence students’ buying decisions. Thereafter we emphasize to the few surveys that illustrate the discussion about CSR in India, especially in Bhubaneswar city. Finally, the paper concludes by showing the existing research gap in this field and suggests new research's directions.