Chicago Booth Review Podcast Do consumers care about corporate social responsibility?
11 snips
Feb 18, 2026 Abigail Sussman, behavioral scientist at Chicago Booth who studies consumer behavior and corporate social responsibility, discusses internal versus external CSR. She compares fixing a company’s own harms to donating externally. Topics include when consumers prefer internal fixes, risks of advertising fixes, trade-offs between blame and benefit, and why sustained efforts build credibility.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
CSR, ESG, And DEI Are Different Lenses
- CSR are actions firms take beyond legal requirements, while ESG is an investor/regulator lens and DEI focuses on people/diversity.
- The labels overlap but serve different audiences and purposes.
CSR Can Align With Profit Or Divert It
- Some CSR choices align profit and social good, while others divert resources and may hurt profits.
- Evaluate CSR case-by-case for strategic alignment and measurable impact.
Internal Vs External CSR Defined
- Internal CSR changes company practices to reduce harms it causes; external CSR funds third parties addressing the issue.
- Consumers view these actions differently when they see a direct causal link to harm.