IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhb/sicgwp/2011_002.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of customer satisfaction with socially responsible investments: Do ethical and environmental factors impact customer satisfaction with SRI profiled mutual funds?

Author

Listed:
  • Nilsson, Jonas

    (Umeå School of Business at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden)

  • Jansson , Johan

    (Umeå School of Business at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden)

  • Isberg, Sofia

    (Umeå School of Business at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden)

  • Nordvall, Anna-Carin

    (Umeå School of Business at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden)

Abstract

Although much research has been published on green/ethical consumer behaviour, the question of how consumers evaluate pro-socially positioned products in the post-purchase stage is still virtually unexplored. This is troubling given the significance of post-purchase evaluations within general marketing theory. To address this gap in the literature, this study examines how a set of technical and functional quality attributes contribute to customer satisfaction in a socially responsible investment (SRI) setting. The results of the study show that perceived financial quality of the SRI mutual fund is the most important predictor of customer satisfaction. However, perceived social, ethical, and environmental (SEE) quality is also positively related to satisfaction for the SRI mutual fund. Based on these results, it is argued that although SEE quality is important to customers, marketers of pro-socially profiled products should primarily focus on conventional quality attributes, as a good SEE record unlikely to generate customer satisfaction alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Nilsson, Jonas & Jansson , Johan & Isberg, Sofia & Nordvall, Anna-Carin, 2011. "Determinants of customer satisfaction with socially responsible investments: Do ethical and environmental factors impact customer satisfaction with SRI profiled mutual funds?," Sustainable Investment and Corporate Governance Working Papers 2011/2, Sustainable Investment Research Platform.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhb:sicgwp:2011_002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://sites.google.com/site/climatedeclaration/Home/sirpwp11-02-nilssonetal.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mackenzie, Craig & Lewis, Alan, 1999. "Morals and Markets: The Case of Ethical Investing," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 439-452, July.
    2. N. Kreander & R.H. Gray & D.M. Power & C.D. Sinclair, 2005. "Evaluating the Performance of Ethical and Non‐ethical Funds: A Matched Pair Analysis," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7‐8), pages 1465-1493, September.
    3. James F. Devlin, 2003. "Monitoring the success of policy initiatives to increase consumer understanding of financial services," Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(2), pages 151-163, June.
    4. Michael Schröder, 2007. "Is there a Difference? The Performance Characteristics of SRI Equity Indices," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1‐2), pages 331-348, January.
    5. Jonas Nilsson, 2008. "Investment with a Conscience: Examining the Impact of Pro-Social Attitudes and Perceived Financial Performance on Socially Responsible Investment Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(2), pages 307-325, December.
    6. Beal, Diana & Goyen, Michelle, 1998. "'Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is' A Profile of Ethical Investors," Financial Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 129-143.
    7. Michal Carrington & Benjamin Neville & Gregory Whitwell, 2010. "Why Ethical Consumers Don’t Walk Their Talk: Towards a Framework for Understanding the Gap Between the Ethical Purchase Intentions and Actual Buying Behaviour of Ethically Minded Consumers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 139-158, November.
    8. Rob Bauer & Jeroen Derwall & Rogér Otten, 2007. "The Ethical Mutual Fund Performance Debate: New Evidence from Canada," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 70(2), pages 111-124, January.
    9. Noah J. Goldstein & Robert B. Cialdini & Vladas Griskevicius, 2008. "A Room with a Viewpoint: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(3), pages 472-482, March.
    10. Frank‐Martin Belz, 2006. "Marketing in the 21st Century," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(3), pages 139-144, May.
    11. Minton, Ann P. & Rose, Randall L., 1997. "The Effects of Environmental Concern on Environmentally Friendly Consumer Behavior: An Exploratory Study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 37-48, September.
    12. N. Kreander & R.H. Gray & D.M. Power & C.D. Sinclair, 2005. "Evaluating the Performance of Ethical and Non-ethical Funds: A Matched Pair Analysis," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7-8), pages 1465-1493.
    13. Diamantopoulos, Adamantios & Schlegelmilch, Bodo B. & Sinkovics, Rudolf R. & Bohlen, Greg M., 2003. "Can socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? A review of the evidence and an empirical investigation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 465-480, June.
    14. Yu-Shan Chen, 2010. "The Drivers of Green Brand Equity: Green Brand Image, Green Satisfaction, and Green Trust," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(2), pages 307-319, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anett Wins & Bernhard Zwergel, 2016. "Comparing those who do, might and will not invest in sustainable funds: a survey among German retail fund investors," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 9(1), pages 51-99, April.
    2. Johan Jansson, 2011. "Consumer eco‐innovation adoption: assessing attitudinal factors and perceived product characteristics," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 192-210, March.
    3. Federica Ielasi & Monica Rossolini, 2019. "Responsible or Thematic? The True Nature of Sustainability-Themed Mutual Funds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Nicholas Apergis & Vassilios Babalos & Christina Christou & Rangan Gupta, 2019. "Are there Really Long-Run Diversification Benefits from Sustainable Investments?," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 18(2), pages 141-163, September.
    5. Miwa Nakai & Tomonori Honda & Nariaki Nishino & Kenji Takeuchi, 2013. "An Experimental Study on Motivations for Socially Responsible Investment," Discussion Papers 1314, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    6. Hutchinson, Mark C. & Mulcahy, Mark & O'Brien, John, 2018. "What is the cost of faith? An empirical investigation of Islamic purification," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 134-143.
    7. repec:dau:papers:123456789/7347 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Abu-Alkheil, Ahmad & Khan, Walayet A. & Parikh, Bhavik & Mohanty, Sunil K., 2017. "Dynamic co-integration and portfolio diversification of Islamic and conventional indices: Global evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 212-224.
    9. Derwall, Jeroen & Koedijk, Kees & Ter Horst, Jenke, 2011. "A tale of values-driven and profit-seeking social investors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 2137-2147, August.
    10. Erifili Papista & Athanasios Krystallis, 2013. "Investigating the Types of Value and Cost of Green Brands: Proposition of a Conceptual Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 75-92, June.
    11. Laura Fabregat-Aibar & M. Glòria Barberà-Mariné & Antonio Terceño & Laia Pié, 2019. "A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis of Socially Responsible Funds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, May.
    12. Sandberg, Joakim & Nilsson, Jonas, 2011. "Conflicting Intuitions about Ethical Investment: A Survey among Individual Investors," Sustainable Investment and Corporate Governance Working Papers 2010/16, Sustainable Investment Research Platform.
    13. Hirschberger, Markus & Steuer, Ralph E. & Utz, Sebastian & Wimmer, Maximilian, 2012. "Is socially responsible investing just screening? Evidence from mutual funds," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2012-025, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    14. Zou, Lili Wenli & Chan, Ricky Y.K., 2019. "Why and when do consumers perform green behaviors? An examination of regulatory focus and ethical ideology," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 113-127.
    15. Céline Louche & Daniel Arenas & Katinka Cranenburgh, 2012. "From Preaching to Investing: Attitudes of Religious Organisations Towards Responsible Investment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 301-320, October.
    16. Sebastian Lobe & Christian Walkshäusl, 2016. "Vice versus virtue investing around the world," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 303-344, March.
    17. Muñoz, Fernando, 2016. "Cash flow timing skills of socially responsible mutual fund investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 110-124.
    18. Andreas Hoepner & Ioannis Oikonomou & Bert Scholtens & Michael Schröder, 2016. "The Effects of Corporate and Country Sustainability Characteristics on The Cost of Debt: An International Investigation," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1-2), pages 158-190, January.
    19. Luis Ferruz & Fernando Muñoz & María Vargas, 2012. "Managerial Abilities: Evidence from Religious Mutual Fund Managers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(4), pages 503-517, February.
    20. Joakim Sandberg, 2011. "Socially Responsible Investment and Fiduciary Duty: Putting the Freshfields Report into Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(1), pages 143-162, June.
    21. Łukasz Dopierała & Magdalena Mosionek-Schweda & Daria Ilczuk, 2020. "Does the Asset Allocation Policy Affect the Performance of Climate-Themed Funds? Empirical Evidence from the Scandinavian Mutual Funds Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Customer satisfaction; ethics; perceived quality; socially responsible investment; mutual funds;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hhb:sicgwp:2011_002. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Pontus Cerin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iikthse.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.