Vodafone is a leading global player in mobile telecommunications. It has an integral role worldwide as it serves around 151 million customers and shareholders, as well as owes responsibilities towards its 60,000 employees. Moreover, it believes, it has a duty to the society. Vodafone aims to continue its growth since it was originally formed in 1984. Likewise, Vodafone takes a strategic approach to its ethics and business decisions. This includes the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to be taken into account.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a citizenship function with ethical and social obligations between corporations and consumers. CSR has become a businessimperative as executives are repeatedly informed that their corporations will gain a competitive advantage by managing their CSR practicesand communications that may be appealing to the growing numbers of socially oriented consumers (Arena, 2004). One can certainly find examples of corporations with superior CSR practices that have done well. For example, General Electric and Toyota have successfully converted CSR practices into superior financial performance as their energy efficient and environmentally responsible products are widely accepted by environmentalists and consumers. Mobile phone companies usually include CSR communications on their Web sites that demonstrate the company’s commitment to CSR practices. Thus, this study takes a step to fill the gap by examining how consumers’ perceptions of mobile phone companies’ ethical, discretionary, and relational practices - the three dimensions of CSR practices - influence their attitudes toward Vodafone UK. Accordingly, by this study it can be concluded that Vodafone identified three dimensions of CSR practices; ethical, discretionary, and relationalpractices. Examples of these practices include avoiding discrimination in hiring diverse employees, contributing to the community, and building long-term relations with customers respectively....