La responsabilidad ambiental como determinante de la confianza y el compromiso afectivo del consumidor en el sector restaurantero

Environmental responsibility as a determinant of consumer trust and affective commitment in the restaurant sector

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the extent to which environmental responsibility influences consumer trust and how trust, in turn, affects consumers’ affective commitment towards two iconic fast-food restaurants. From this arises the following research question: To what extent does environmental responsibility, understood as a signal of quality, shape the formation of consumer trust and affective commitment? A theoretical framework integrating signaling theory and the relationship marketing approach is proposed. The research adopts quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional design. Data was collected through 390 valid surveys administered randomly to consumers of McDonald’s and Burger King. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling, employing a path analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 21, and confirmatory factor analysis was carried out with LISREL 10.20. The findings reveal notable differences in the perceptions of consumers in Cancún. Specifically, affective commitment was stronger in the case of McDonald’s than in Burger King. Likewise, the environmental responsibility perceived by customers was higher for McDonald’s, whereas Burger King was identified as comparatively weaker in this regard.