Corporate Social Responsibility Dimensions and Brand Equity in Restaurant Sector: The Mediating Role of Brand Reputation in the Age of the Metaverse

This article attempts to determine the impact of each aspect of CSR on brand reputation in the age of the metaverse. Its purpose is to create new insight into the literature and for managers (especially restaurant managers) to show that adherence to different dimensions of CSR can affect brand reputation and equity. In addition, this study aims to uncover the moderating role of age in the relationship between CSR dimensions and brand reputation in the context of restaurant services. The study used SEM and CFA to analyze 319 questionnaires from Iranian restaurants. The study results suggest that every aspect of corporate social responsibility (except for the philanthropic dimension) has a direct and substantial impact on brand reputation, which in turn has a direct and significant influence on brand equity. Also, the findings of this study show that age only moderates the relationship between the legal dimension of CSR and brand reputation. The paper constitutes an initial exploration of the impact of specific dimensions of CSR on brand reputation. In this analysis, a novel dimension—environmental accountability—was integrated into Carroll's framework to address the significance of environmental concerns. This research further enriches the body of literature by demonstrating that the effectiveness of CSR activities is not uniform. The paper reveals that consumers are factoring CSR considerations into their evaluations of restaurants. Notably, the paper originally underscores the paramount importance of environmental responsibility for these consumers, alongside an emphasis on revenue generation by restaurants and an expectation for compliance with ethical and legal standards. The findings offer restaurant practitioners a deeper understanding of CSR and its influence on brand reputation while also indicating the potential for these results to be applicable in other regions. The research demonstrates that, in the age of the metaverse, emphasizing various dimensions of CSR can substantially affect brand reputation. Consequently, this study may motivate restaurant managers, particularly those in developing countries, to prioritize and invest in CSR initiatives.