CSR can be measured among customers or general public through a questionnaire to be distributed and filled out by a sample. We can utilize a 5-grade Likert scale.

I have used focus groups with stakeholders and the general public and mapped their beliefs about CSR (outputs, outcomes, problems, ways to solve them, etc) in Ecuador.  This technique worked pretty well even in very conflictive contexts.

Either surveys or focus groups would work (maybe both, so you have multiple methods of measuring the same thing).  Waddock and Graves (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229814548_THE_CORPORATE_SOCIAL_PERFORMANCEFINANCIAL_PERFORMANCE_LINK?ev=prf_pub) used a panel of experts to evaluate the CSR of various companies, finding that the experts' opinions were reasonably close to the results of the MCSI (then KLD).  That opens up epistemological questions -- How are the perceptions of an expert different from reality? -- and suggests that an interseting question would be to see how the opinions of customers and the general public on a company's CSR are different from the expert opinions or the quantitative data from MCSI.  But that seems like it would be only one possible contribution of a paper using perception of CSR.  Paul, have you published any of your findings from Equador?  I'd be interested in seeing what you did.

Article The Corporate Social Performance-Financial Performance Link

This Can be done through methodological triangulation where you Can apply a hybrid of qualitative and quantitative stratégies either simulteneously or concurrently.

Thank you for your answers. I would very much appreciate some (external) links to some relevant scientific papers / research reports in which perceived CSR is measured among consumers or the general public.

Hello

I did a review of the literature in the field. Worldwide, questionnaires were used. I observed that the results are not totally reliable, therefore I would recommend interviews.

I you are interested in the world-wide studies, I invite you to have a look to my paper - http://managementdynamics.ro/index.php/journal/article/view/35

I hope it is of interest.

Alexandra

Either Surveys or Mystery Audit methods (Both are questionnaire type) can be measured among customers in CSR. 

Hi,

Kindly also look at the Perceived Ethical and Social Orientation scale (PRESOR) developed by Singhapakdi et al (1996). We are using it in one of our research projects. The complete reference of this paper is:

Singhapakdi, A., Vitell, S. J., Rallapalli, K. C., & Kraft, K. L. (1996). The perceived role of ethics and social responsibility: A scale development. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(11), 1131-1140.

SERVQUAL model explain the perceptual gap. SERVQUAL identified 5 gaps for research purposes. Refer parasuraman, etc SERVQUAL model.

You can apply scales which are already tested and validated- most of scales are in the book  Bearden W. O., Netemeyer R. G., 1999,  Handbook of Marketing Scales: Multi-Item Measures for Marketing and Consumer Behavior Research, ed. 2, Sage Publications, California.

Application of this scales let you continue research made by other scientists and connect your research and publication with previous results.

Of course if you want to measure recognision or awareness  - quantitative research would be the best. To learn about actuall customers reactions on CSR (for example how consumer react on cause-related promotion) I recommend experiment.

You may also organize experiment in two-three different groups of students. Each group will get scenario - information about companies and their social involvement. 

Generally it depends on the type of problem you want to solve...

The Likert scale can be helpful

An adaptation of this paper could be useful:

http://philpapers.org/rec/TURMCS

Thanks,  Timo Lorenz.

Dear Ovidiu,

Hi

I think there are several ways in which you can measure CSR perception.

One is based on overall firm CSR activities and the consumers perception of it. Second is focusing on a particular aspect / activity e.g. project based analysis (campaign perception) or perception of disclosure or reports.

Here is a study my colleague and I did on perception of CSR disclosure.

I have used linguistic variables to quantify perception of CSR using sustainability report of a Japanese company.

Also expert panels are among the most prevalent approaches in the literature.

Wood (2010) and my study (file attached).

There are also neuro approaches that usually are unavailable to economic and social science researchers.

Hope it helps.

Article Linguistic perception of corporate responsibility disclosure...

Article Developing a Fuzzy Corporate Performance Rating System: A Pe...